About the fourth or fifth time that A.J. Dybantsa crashed to the floor, and he looked up at an official in both shock and vain, one of the most talented freshmen in college basketball must have finally figured out that he wasn't going to get a call. Dybantsa still poured in 24 points while leading No. 10 BYU to an 83-73 victory over Kansas State on Saturday, the first true road game for the Cougars all season.
Panthers aim to avoid third straight loss but that won't be easy against league-leading Avalanche
An extremely difficult task awaits the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Sunrise.
Florida will look to avoid a third straight defeat when they host the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche at Amerant Bank Arena.
After marching through a strong stretch in December that saw the Panthers reel off wins in seven of eight, Florida has struggled of late.
Following the NHL’s annual holiday break around Christmas, the Panthers have lost three of four, including Friday’s Winter Classic at loanDepot Park.
Now they’ll try to right the ship against the top team in the league.
The Panthers were in Colorado a little less than a month ago, playing the second night of a back-to-back after winning in Utah the previous evening.
Several Panthers players said that was one of the toughest back-to-back sets they’d played due to the sudden changes in both time zone and elevation.
We’ll see if they can come up with a better effort on Sunday, after having a day off and being able to sleep in their own beds beforehand.
Florida defenseman Seth Jones left Friday’s Winter Classic with an upper-body injury and did not return, and his status for Sunday’s game remains unknown.
Jones took a deflected puck to the shoulder/collarbone area, but after the game Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said he didn’t think it was anything too serious.
Hopefully, for Florida’s sake, that means Jones will be good to go against Colorado.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Sunday’s meeting with the Avalanche:
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicks
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
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Photo caption: Jan 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice looks on during the second period in the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game against the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park. (Rhona Wise-Imagn Images)
Yankees, INF Paul DeJong agree to minor league deal: report
The Yankees added some infield depth on Sunday morning, agreeing to a deal with veteran Paul DeJong.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, DeJong is joining the Yankees on a minor league deal that includes an invite to major league spring training.
DeJong, 32, began his career by playing seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, earning his lone All-Star appearance in 2019. Since 2023, the infielder has bounced around to a handful of teams, including 57 games with the Washington Nationals in 2025.
Over the course of nine major league seasons, DeJong has a career slash line of .229/.294/.416 with 146 home runs and 423 RBI. And while he came up as a shortstop, DeJong has played all over the infield, so he'd provide some versatility for a Yankees team that knows shortstop Anthony Volpe likely won't be ready to start the 2026 regular season.
Championship roundup: leaders Coventry slip up again in thriller at Birmingham
Ducksch double edges Birmingham to 3-2 home victory
Middlesbrough up to second after Southampton win
Marvin Ducksch scored twice as Birmingham ended their seven-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over Championship leaders Coventry.
The former Germany international grabbed a goal in each half as fortunes ebbed and flowed in a derby fixture that delivered drama from the first whistle until stoppage time when visiting defender Bobby Thomas was dismissed. Birmingham led three times but were pegged back twice by Frank Lampard’s side, who have now won just twice in their last eight outings.
Continue reading...Knicks must solve defensive issues to be true championship contenders
The Knicks had another abysmal defensive performance on Saturday.
They allowed the Sixers to hit 47 percent of their three-point shots (36 three-point FGAs). They put up little resistance against Philadelphia’s starters. The trio of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid combined for 88 points on 62 percent shooting (53 FGAs).
It was another game in a growing stretch where the Knicks struggled to get stops.
How does it get fixed?
Maybe it’s as simple as getting Josh Hart and Landry Shamet back in the lineup?
New York is 2-3 without Hart, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury.
They have fared well in Shamet’s absence but they look like a team that can use his on-ball defense.
New York’s point of attack defense has been bad over the past two games.
If you go back a bit further, they are giving up 122 points per 100 possessions over the past five games. That’s the fourth-worst defensive rating in the NBA. And it’s not a coincidence that the five-game stretch coincides with Hart’s absence.
The Knicks had Hart in the starting lineup for about a month prior to his injury. In that month, they had the 11th best defense in the league (113 points allowed per 100 possessions).
When will Hart be back from his ankle injury? The Knicks said that he will be re-evaluated next Friday. As noted on Honda Sports Night, Hart is expected to return shortly after that re-evaluation, if not sooner. Shamet – out since Nov. 22 with a shoulder sprain – also should be back on the court in the next week. So barring any setbacks, the Knicks should be close to whole again very soon.
Will Hart and Shamet help straighten them out on defense? Can Mike Brown and defensive coordinator Brendan O’Connor make adjustments that yield better results?
The answer to those two questions will tell you a lot about this Knicks season. If the Knicks can be serviceable on defense, they have enough depth and talent to play into late May/June.
If they can’t sort through those defensive issues, the Knicks may fall well short of their goals this spring.
Canadiens: Revenge Time
No team has beaten the Montreal Canadiens like the Dallas Stars did this season. On November 13, at the Bell Centre, Glen Gulutzan’s men put seven goals past the Canadiens’ goaltenders, five past Jakub Dobes in 40 minutes and two past Samuel Montembeault in the remaining 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Habs could get a single puck past backup goalie Casey De Smith. Yes, the Washington Capitals scored eight on the Tricolore a week later, but in that loss, the Habs at least managed to score four goals. On Sunday afternoon at the American Airlines Center, the Sainte-Flanelle will have a chance at redemption.
After being blanked by Jordan Bennington and the St. Louis Blues, Montreal will try to end its seven-game road trip on a high note with a win in Dallas. That’s no small task; however, the Stars have 57 points and are third in the standings, but they have lost their last two games and are 4-4-2 in their previous 10 games. The hosts have beaten the visitors seven times in the last 10 duels between the two sides, but the Canadiens won the earlier meeting in Dallas last January, 3-1, with Jakub Dobes in net.
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Martin St-Louis has yet to confirm who will start in net, but since the Canadiens returned from their Christmas break, he’s been alternating his goalies, and if he keeps it up, it would be Samuel Montembeault’s turn to step between the posts. The Becancour native has a good record against the Texans; in six games, he’s 2-2-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes is 1-1-0 with a 3.61 GAA and a .870 SV, and Jacob Fowler has never taken them on.
At the other end of the ice, the starting goaltender hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Jake Oettinger has seen the lion’s share of the work this season, and since the Stars haven’t played in two days, he’ll be rested and ready if called upon. The American has a 5-2-0 record against the Habs with a 2.48 GAA and a .907 SV.
Meanwhile, DeSmith is 4-2-2 with a 2.07 GAA and a .930 SV%, but the Stars announced on Saturday that he was taking a personal leave of absence to address a family matter. As a result, they’ve recalled Farnham, Quebec native Remi Poirier from their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Drafted by Dallas in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, the 24-year-old has yet to play in the NHL, but he has an 8-10-5 record in the AHL with a 2.77 GAA and a .903 SV.
Up front, Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the Stars with 14 points in just 11 games. Phillip Danault comes in second place with 13 points in 24 games, and Brendan Gallagher is third with seven points in 18 games. It’s worth noting that blueliner Noah Dobson has six points in just nine games and Cole Caufield five points in eight games. When the Habs lost 2-0 to the Blues, Ivan Demidov's five-game point streak ended; he had nine points over that span and will be looking to start another streak on Sunday.
As for the Stars, Matt Duchene has 22 points in 27 duels with the Habs, closely followed by Jamie Benn with 21 points in 23 duels and Mikko Rantanen, who’s a point-per-game player against Montreal with 16 points in as many games. A couple of top point producers for the Stars have been ignored for the Olympic rosters and will likely play with a chip on their shoulders as a result. Team Canada has decided to do without Wyatt Johnson, who has 46 points this season in 41 games, while Team USA has no room for Jason Robertson, the highest-scoring American in the league with 48 points in 41 games (including 24 goals).
To win, the Canadiens will need to play a disciplined game, since the Stars have the second-best power play in the league at 29.8% and the sixth-best penalty kill at 82.2%. Montreal also can’t afford to underperform in the second frame (the Habs have a minus-12 differential in the middle stanza), since Dallas is plus-nine in that period. Furthermore, the Stars are the third-highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 3.41 goals per game, so whoever is in net for the visitors will need to play well.
The game is set for 2:00 PM on Sunday, and you can catch it on Victory+, TSN2, and RDS. Jordan Samuels-Thomas and the always-entertaining Wes McCauley will be officiating, while Ben O’Quinn and CJ Murray will be the linemen. After the game, the Canadiens will fly back home and enjoy a much-deserved day off on Monday, before hitting the ice again in Brossard on Tuesday to start preparing for their Wednesday night tilt against the Calgary Flames.
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The Stats Behind Game #41: Bruins 3, Canucks 2 (OT)
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins.
Despite the loss, the Canucks were the better team at even strength. Vancouver held a 27-22 scoring chances advantage and won the even-strength high-danger scoring chances 12-8. In the end, it was special teams that made the difference as the Bruins scored twice on the man advantage compared to one goal on six opportunities for the Canucks.
As for the heatmap, Vancouver did a good job of protecting the front of the net, but still allowed two goals from in front of the crease. At the other end, the Canucks crashed the net all game, generating 11 high-danger shots on goal. Overall, it was a positive performance, but one that still resulted in a loss.
To wrap things up, the Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson line were virtually unstoppable. During their 6:57 together, Vancouver held a 10-0 shots advantage and won the scoring chances battle 12-0. The trio also found the back of the net as Pettersson scored early in the second period.
The Canucks start their Eastern road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. These two teams met earlier this season, with Buffalo picking up a 3-2 victory. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Columbus Blue Jackets (42 pts) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (47 pts) Game Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Nationwide Arena.
Pittsburgh Penguins - 19-12-9 - 46 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - 5th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 18-16-6 - 42 Points - 5-5-0 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
- Power Play - 18.4% - 21st in the NHL
- Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 28th in the NHL
- Goals For - 119 - 21st in the NHL
- Goals Against - 131 - 22nd in the NHL
Penguins Stats
- Power Play - 29.6% - 3rd in the NHL
- Penalty Kill - 81.5% - 10th in the NHL
- Goals For - 129 - 11th in the NHL
- Goals Against - 122 - 16th in the NHL
Series History vs. ThePenguins
- Columbus is 19-31-9 all-time, and 13-12-4 at home vs. Pittsburgh.
- The Jackets are 5-5-1 in the last 11 against the Pens overall, and 4-6 in the last 10 at home.
- The Blue Jackets are 1-1 vs. Pittsburgh this season.
Who To Watch For ThePenguins
- Sidney Crosby leads the Pens with 23 goals and 45 points.
- Erik Karlsson leads Pittsburgh with 27 assists.
- Yegor Chinakhov is making his return to NWA after being traded to the Pens.
- Goalie Arturs Silovs is 7-5-6 with a SV% of .884. His last start was on January 1st.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Penguins
- Zach Werenski has a stat line of 5-10-14 in 23 career games against Pittsburgh.
- Boone Jenner has 14 points in 25 games.
- Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 36 games.
- Elvis Merzlikins has a career record of 2-2-0, with a SV% of .864 vs. Buffalo.
Injuries
- Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 34 Games - IR - No timeline for a return.
- Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 2 Games - IR
- Miles Wood - Lower Body - IR - Week-to-week.
- Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game IR - Week to week.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 90
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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Former Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Joins Hockey Canada To Lead Review Of Men's Junior Hockey In Ontario
Former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan has found a new gig.
The 56-year-old is set to join Hockey Canada and lead a review of men's junior hockey within Ontario. Shanahan will look at developing the skills and character traits of hockey players, plus ensuring junior hockey in Ontario is athlete-centred and development-focused, before sharing his findings with a six-person committee.
Shanahan will also produce two public documents: "an interim paper that includes a framework for consulting with stakeholders in the coming weeks, and a final report with his recommendations later in 2026."
The committee Shanahan will report to consists of Craig Halpenny (Hockey Eastern Ontario president), Dean Filane (Hockey Northwestern Ontario president), Jeffrey Turner (chair of the Ontario Hockey Federation Board of Directors), Jonathan Goldbloom (chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors), John Kastner (Hockey Canada board member), and Katherine Henderson (president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada).
"Playing hockey for Team Canada was one of the greatest honours of my career, so to work on this project with Hockey Canada and its three Ontario Members to help give back to the game in my home province is an opportunity that I am very grateful for," said Shanahan in the press release.
"Throughout this review, I’m looking forward to learning from those involved in junior hockey in Ontario and better understanding their visions for how we can build a stronger system for everyone participating in our great game."
Shanahan was the president of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs from 2014 to 2025. In that time, he contributed to getting the Maple Leafs back on track, with the team making the playoffs in all but two seasons (2015 and 2016).
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The Mimico, Ontario native also helped develop the relationship between the team and the alumni to what it is now. That included converting all honored numbers into retired numbers, plus the creation of Legends Row
Toronto parted ways with Shanahan following the 2024-25 season, which was his final season under contract as president of the Maple Leafs.
Before joining the Maple Leafs, Shanahan worked for five years within the NHL, which included three years as senior vice president of player safety. After departing Toronto, Shanahan reportedly took a job to join the NHL's hockey operations department.
Report: Ex-Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Joins NHL Hockey OpsShanahan is returning to work for the NHL in his first gig since his contract was not renewed by the Maple Leafs last summer.Shanahan never played for the Maple Leafs, but had major success as a player in hockey. He's part of the IIHF Triple Hold Club and has three Stanley Cups to his name, all with the Detroit Red Wings.
Through 1,524 games spent with the Devils, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers, Shanahan has 656 goals and 698 assists for 1,354 points.
‘I’m back’: Tyson Fury announces boxing return a year after retirement
Heavyweight last fought in December 2024
Fury claims he will return to the ring this year
Tyson Fury has announced he will return to boxing in 2026 nearly a year after he announced his latest retirement from the ring.
After a second points loss to heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk for three of the four major world titles in December 2024, Fury confirmed the end of his professional career the following month. But Fury, who said he was bowing out of the sport after beating Dillian Whyte in April 2022 only to return later in the year, posted on Instagram on Sunday: “2026 is that year. Return of the mac.
Continue reading...Opportunistic Blues Beat Canadiens
In the sixth game of a seven-game road trip, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the St.Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. Martin St-Louis’ men were attempting to get at least a point in an eight straight game, and they were hoping to bank on the hosts’ fatigue, as the Missouri outfit was playing in the second game of a back-to-back. Still, goaltender Jordan Binnington, who rode the pine on Friday night, was in great form.
On paper, the Habs were the better side with a 10-point lead over the Blues in the standings, but the game is played on the ice and not on paper, unfortunately for the Canadiens. The team that makes the most of its opportunities typically grabs the win, and that’s precisely what happened on Sunday.
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A System Not Suited To Binnington
The Canadiens’ coach often says that it’s essential to play the game that’s in front of you, and often for the Habs, that starts with a well-placed dump-in and effective forecheck, but against Binnington, that’s not a winning strategy.
While St. Louis’ netminder may not be having a great season, with a 7-10-6 record, a 3.56 goals-against average, and a.869 save percentage, he is still one of the best goaltenders in the league to handle the puck outside of his net. This is one of the reasons why Team Canada still picked him for the Olympics, despite his lukewarm performances this season.
If you put the puck deep against the Blues, Binnington comes out and assists his blueliners, effectively assuming the role of a third defenseman.
Furthermore, the masked man was in top form on Saturday, and even though the Canadiens had a lengthy five-on-three power play in the second frame, they couldn’t solve him. Montreal might have had a better chance of doing so had it used Lane Hutson on the two-man advantage instead of Noah Dobson. While the latter has been very productive lately, with more space on the ice, you need Hutson’s mobility and creativity to make the defensive unit move. Dobson’s rocket of a shot is more efficient when there’s a lot of circulation in front of the goalie. Saturday night’s win was Binnington’s first at home since November 28.
Costly Mistakes
While the Blues were 29th in the league before the game, they still have some very talented offensive players, and feeding them odd-man rushes is never a good idea. In the first frame, the hosts had four of those opportunities. They didn’t capitalize on them as Jacob Fowler stood tall, but it certainly helped them build some much-needed momentum.
In the second frame, on the power play, Hutson committed a turnover at center ice, and it led to yet another odd-man rush. The Blues didn’t miss on that one. Robert Thomas gave the host a 2-0 lead, which held through 60 minutes.
A Tough Game For Former Blues
Zachary Bolduc, who was acquired from the Blues last Summer, played a big part in his former team taking the lead in the first frame when he sent a hard pass off target to Jayden Struble; the puck ended up in the net seconds later.
As for Alexandre Texier, he had a golden opportunity in the first frame, alone in space, but he took so long to unleash a shot that the Blues had the time to not only pick his pocket but launch an attack the other way, with numbers.
For some reason, the execution was lacking tonight, and the Habs missed several opportunities with a wide-open net, something that’s always sure to bring its fair share of frustration. In Josh Anderson’s absence, Brendan Gallagher was skating on the third line alongside former linemate Phillip Danault and Bolduc, and he had six shots through 40 minutes. Still, he was unable to get the puck past Binnington, who signed a 2-0 shutout, his first in a year to the day.
The Habs had no time to lick their wounds after the game as they needed to head straight to Texas, where they’ll take on the Dallas Stars on Sunday. They’ll try to avenge the 7-0 walloping the Stars handed them in November.
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Jimmy Butler shares sound advice to Jonathan Kuminga as trade deadline looms
Jimmy Butler shares sound advice to Jonathan Kuminga as trade deadline looms originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Jimmy Butler continues to be a mentor for Jonathan Kuminga both on and off the court.
So as Kuminga continues to maneuver what’s likely to be his impending Warriors divorce, Butler will remain by his side regardless of the outcome. Butler told reporters after the Warriors’ win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday that their relationship hasn’t changed at all despite Kuminga being out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation lately.
“Same. He better come to my house tonight and eat dinner, play some dominoes,” Butler said (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater). “That is my brother, so I care less if you’re out of the rotation. We hang out. That’s my friend, That’s my brother. That’s not going to change.
“Basketball is basketball. I love him like a brother and I wish him the best. And I still see him in here getting his work in, so his mind’s right.”
Kuminga has been benched or played limited minutes over the past few weeks as the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline approaches. Now more than ever, his future with Golden State is uncertain.
The 23-year-old wing can’t be dealt until Jan. 15, and several reports indicate that a move is in the works.
Regardless, that doesn’t change anything for Butler and his relationship with Kuminga.
“That ain’t got nothing to do with me,” Butler said. “I’m still going to call and check on him. I’m still going to go visit him, still go to his house, eat his food and play with his kids. His future, though, that’s between him and whoever else. But the bond and the brotherhood that we’ve built, ain’t no future going to change that.”
Kuminga started the first 12 games of the 2025-26 NBA season, but has played only six times since. He’s averaging 11.3 points on 43.1-percent shooting from the field and 32.0 percent from 3-point range. He hasn’t played in 10 of the past 11 games.
Butler was asked about whether he sees the uncertainty of Kuminga’s future weighing on him.
“Nope. Not at all,” Butler said. “I told JK, you come in here and be a pro of all pros. Come here and get your work done. You smile. You have a good time because you’re still an NBA player. You’re one of the best people in the world and I’m not even talking about basketball. So you keep smiling, you keep being the great human being that you are.”
Anthony Joshua issues first public update after fatal car crash in Nigeria
Boxer posts photo with his mother and three women
Two of Joshua’s team members died in the accident
Anthony Joshua has issued his first public update after the car crash in Nigeria which injured him and killed two of his close friends and team members.
Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, also known as Latz, died after the vehicle they were travelling in along with Joshua struck a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos on Monday. Joshua was taken to hospital before being discharged on Wednesday and he has flown back to the UK ahead of the funerals of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, one of his trainers.
Continue reading...Sixers ‘see how good we can be,' look like they might have fun road ahead
Sixers ‘see how good we can be,' look like they might have fun road ahead originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
VJ Edgecombe surely spoke for just about everyone in the cramped visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden when he paused during the middle of his media scrum with an admission.
“I don’t even know what today is,” Edgecombe said.
Whatever the day — Saturday, it turns out — Edgecombe’s first long NBA road trip ended in fun fashion. No one minded thinking about the Sixers’ road ahead, too.
The 19-14 Sixers concluded their five-game trip with three straight wins. There was minimal daydreaming required for those inclined to picture a best-case playoff scenario where the Sixers’ stars are healthy, their backcourt a youthful, joyful powerhouse, their role players ready and able to do valuable, unglamorous jobs.
It’s no coincidence that only Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) have been sidelined lately.
“I think for three games in a row, we’ve had the same lineup,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said postgame. “You’d have to check your notes, that might be a record for us. … I really don’t remember that happening for a long time. So we’ll take that, and we can hopefully get to four on Monday (vs. the Nuggets).”
Both Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey made many special plays on both ends of the floor in Saturday’s victory over the Knicks. They also appeared tireless and sometimes even immune to misses. The pair totaled 62 points on 24-for-38 shooting. Joel Embiid joined them in the highly efficient department with 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
“I think the main thing is we see how good we can be when we’re gelling,” Edgecombe said, “when everybody’s touching the rock, when everybody’s playing hard, when everybody’s bought into their role. I think we see how good we can be.”
Embiid was in a tongue-in-cheek mood after the game. The seven-time All-Star’s final make was his first dunk all season, an unguarded flush with 24.9 seconds left. He raised his arms, grinned and ran down the floor with one finger in the air.
“Feels good,” Embiid said. “Easy one. I wish it would’ve been one off the backboard. That’s the next step.”
In his career, Embiid has a 17-4 regular-season record against the Knicks. He’s heard plenty of boos over the years in New York.
“It’s always good to be here and talk back to the fans,” he said. “They were quiet today, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re losing the whole game. But I always have fun going back and forth with them. Sometimes it’s good to be liked, sometimes it’s good to be hated.”
As Embiid himself would acknowledge, nothing is ever set in stone for him and the Sixers. He’s played very well during the team’s three-game streak — 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists per contest — but sustained health has been elusive since Embiid suffered a left knee lateral meniscus tear in late January of 2024. Going back much further, he knows all about strange, sad plot twists that have derailed promising seasons.
That doesn’t mean the Sixers are foolish to like how they’re playing and believe they can keep improving.
After enduring a nightmare of a season, they’re on track to win far more than 24 games.
“It’s super rewarding, given the season we had last year and everything we had to deal with — the injuries, new players, just gaining rhythm with one another,” Paul George said. “This year we’ve still been battling injuries and have still had some unfortunate luck on that side, but I think the biggest difference is we just feel better as a group. We trust in the process of this team. … You just naturally gain camaraderie and I think it’s carrying over.
“I think it’s safe to say everyone in this locker room is starting to enjoy being out on that floor, playing on both ends. We’re just gelling. … Everything that we’ve been trying to connect, it’s translating on the court.”
Does Nurse find the recent success satisfying after a year full of hardship exception signings and undermanned, outmatched nights?
“We’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “I told you at the start of the season that we were in a big hole we had to dig out of. We’re still digging. Still, conditioning, rhythm, health can get a little better. I think we just build on that.”
Nick Foligno’s Shootout Winner Lifts Blackhawks over Capitals
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Washington Capitals in a shootout on Saturday night. This is their second straight win after playing their best game without Connor Bedard on Thursday night at the United Center.
The Blackhawks opened the scoring just 1:13 into the game as Ryan Donato made it 1-0. It took just over three minutes, however, for Washington to get it tied up.
At 4:24 of the second period, the Blackhawks once again took the lead. Teuvo Teravainen made it 2-1 with his 9th goal of the season. From there, the Blackhawks controlled the scoreboard for quite some time.
The Capitals did eventually make the expected push, and Ryan Leonard tied the game at 11:18 of the third period. From there, some good goaltending between Spencer Knight and Logan Thompson led to overtime.
With nothing doing in the extra frame, despite a Blackhawks power play to end it, the game went to a long shootout. After a lot of back and forth, Nick Foligno won it for his team in the 6th round.
In addition to Spencer Knight making a couple of nice saves, Nick Lardis and Andre Burskovsky also scored in the shootout to help it get to round six.
This is a solid 3-2 victory for the Blackhawks. They were unable to hold Washington off in the third period, but they found a way to win in the end. For young teams like that, it’s important to claim victory at all costs.
Knight didn't only make good saves in the shootout, either. Throughout regulation and overtime, he made 32 saves on 34 shots. That is a signature win for him this season, as he helped defeat a great team on the road to extend a nice streak of play.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
wasting no time getting down to business💼 pic.twitter.com/CIexbjRTnE
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026
turbo on the power play🙌 pic.twitter.com/saHNm3tqn4
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026
a twirl of the stick for the rookie🫡 pic.twitter.com/7GWCW0voev
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026
a shootout win by the cap😃 pic.twitter.com/JWixHIyzoy
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Blackhawks are back in action on Sunday night. The second half of back-to-back situations has been a struggle for them, home or away. This one will take place at the United Center with the Vegas Golden Knights in town.
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