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Nets lose to Rockets, 120-96, on New Year's Day

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant had 22 points and a season-high 11 assists, Amen Thompson scored 23 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.

Alperen Sengun had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists after a two-game absence for the Rockets, who started fast in both halves to win in Brooklyn for the first time in seven years. Tari Eason finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard each scored 14 points.

Sengun was 8 for 12 from the floor after sitting out two games with a left calf injury.

Cam Thomas scored 21 points for the Nets, who dropped their second straight after winning three in a row for the only time this season. Ziaire Williams added 14.

Michael Porter Jr., who leads the Nets with a career-high 25.8 points per game, missed the game with an illness along with injured starting guards Egor Demin and Terance Mann. Without them, Brooklyn never led in its first home loss to Houston since Nov. 2, 2018, after winning the last six meetings.

The Nets went 7-4 in December and allowed an NBA-low 104.6 points per game, but the Rockets jumped on them immediately to start the new year. Houston made its first seven shots en route to a 16-5 lead, went up by 14 in the second quarter and took a 53-42 advantage to the break.

Houston then made its first five three-pointers and started 8 for 9 overall in the second half. Smith and Eason each hit two threes and Thompson made one in a 19-5 run that extended their 11-point lead to 74-49 when Smith hit back-to-back threes.

The Rockets played without centers Steven Adams (sprained right ankle) and Clint Capela (illness).

Up next

Rockets: Visit Dallas on Saturday.

Nets: Visit Washington on Friday.

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Damien Martyn showing ‘positive signs’ after being placed in induced coma with meningitis

  • Adam Gilchrist gives update on friend and Australia teammate

  • Former cricketer remains in serious but stable condition in hospital

Former Australia Test cricketer Damien Martyn is showing “positive signs” while in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis, according to friend and former teammate Adam Gilchrist.

Martyn was admitted to Gold Coast hospital after falling ill on Boxing Day, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.

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Blackhawks Big Defender Should Be Popular Trade Target

The Chicago Blackhawks have been going through some major struggles as the season rolls on. After winning just two out of their last 10 games, the Blackhawks now have a 14-18-7 record and are seventh in the Central Division. The Winnipeg Jets are also the only team in the NHL that has fewer points than the Blackhawks at the time of this writing, so things are not going well for Chicago right now. 

If the Blackhawks do not turn things around quickly and find themselves out of the playoff race near the deadline, they will likely be sellers. If this ends up coming to fruition, defenseman Connor Murphy should be a very popular trade target around the NHL. 

Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he will certainly be a player to keep an eye on near the deadline. This is especially so when noting that the Blackhawks have multiple promising young defensemen in their system. With this, the Blackhawks certainly could end up shopping Murphy.

With Murphy being a big right-shot defenseman who can play plenty of minutes and has a ton of experience, there should be several playoff clubs in the mix for his services near the deadline. He is the kind of steady stay-at-home defenseman that contenders love to add for the post-season. 

In 39 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded five assists, 40 hits, and 55 blocks. 

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NHL Rumors: Sharks Linked To Canucks Top Trade Target

The San Jose Sharks have been one of the NHL's top surprises this season. After finishing with just 20 wins this past season, the Sharks have a 20-17-3 record in just 40 games so far this campaign. With this, they are currently fourth in the Pacific Division and have the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.

With the Sharks being in a good position with the new year here, it is fair to wonder if they could look to add to their roster at the 2026 NHL trade. According to a new report, the Sharks have their eye on one of the NHL's top trade candidates. 

During a recent episode of The Fan Hockey Show for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. 

"I've actually kind of wondered a little bit about San Jose in the Western Conference," Friedman said. "They've gone from being nowhere at the beginning of the year to being very much in the race. They got a lot of UFAs. I think they've had some interest in Sherwood from Vancouver."

The Sharks reportedly having interest in Sherwood is understandable, as they certainly could use another top-nine winger who not only can score but also plays a heavy game. Sherwood would give the Sharks a player who is built for intense playoff hockey, which would have the potential to benefit a young team on the rise like the Sharks tremendously. 

Sherwood has appeared in 39 games so far this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded 16 goals, four assists, 20 points, and 184 hits. With numbers like these, he undoubtedly would give the Sharks more scoring and bite if acquired. 

With Sherwood in the middle of a strong year and having a bargain $1.5 million cap hit, there is no question that the Canucks want a good return for him in any potential trade. The Sharks have trading assets to work with, so it will be interesting to see if they end up being the club that lands Sherwood from here. 

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Islanders allow season-worst seven goals in blowout loss to Mammoth

NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Guenther had his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Utah Mammoth topped the New York Islanders 7-2 on Thursday.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice and added an assist, Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka returned from a two-game absence and finished with 20 saves as the Mammoth snapped a two-game skid.

Cal Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York, and Max Shabanov had two assists. David Rittich made nine saves on 14 shots, but was replaced by Marcus Hogberg 5:41 into the third period.

Guenther scored his second goal of the game when he buried a backhand feed from Crouse to give Utah a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. He also opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the middle period.

The Islanders briefly tied it 1-1 early in the second period when Ritchie fired a wrist shot over the glove of Vejmelka.

Schmaltz beat Rittich with less than four minutes remaining in the second period to extend Utah’s lead to two goals.

Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot took a four-minute high-sticking penalty late in the second, but the Islanders didn’t capitalize on the ensuing power play.

Sergachev and Keller scored in the first six minutes of the third period to stretch Utah’s lead to 5-1 and prompt the Islanders to change goaltenders.

Guenther completed the hat trick and scored his 20th goal of the season by sliding the puck between the legs of Hogberg with less than seven minutes remaining.

Schaefer scored a power-play goal midway through the third period for his 10th of the season.

Up next

Mammoth: visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

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Observations after Maxey nearly posts triple-double in Sixers' win over Mavs

Observations after Maxey nearly posts triple-double in Sixers' win over Mavs  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey was just two rebounds shy of his second career triple-double Thursday night in Dallas.

He led the Sixers to a 123-108 victory at American Airlines Center by tallying 34 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and two steals.

The Sixers improved to 18-14 this season. Dallas dropped to 12-23.

VJ Edgecombe posted 23 points, five rebounds and four steals. Joel Embiid had 22 points, six assists and four boards.

Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) were still out for the Sixers. 

The Sixers are now 2-2 on their road trip and will close it out Saturday night against the Knicks. Here are observations on the team’s win over the Mavs:

Defense late to the party again  

For the third straight game, the Sixers’ stops were minimal in the early going.

Dallas began 9 for 10 from the floor and took a 20-14 lead when Cooper Flagg burst forward for a fast-break jam.

The Sixers gave the Mavs far too many opportunities to score inside and allowed 26 first-quarter points in the paint. Overall, the Sixers’ defense has not been stellar this season in first quarters. Ahead of Thursday night’s game, here was the team’s defensive rating by quarter:

  • First quarter: 119.4 (22nd in NBA)
  • Second quarter: 109.6 (Fourth)
  • Third quarter: 123.6 (30th)
  • Fourth quarter: 104.3 (First) 

Across the Sixers’ last three games, their opponents have combined to start a staggering 25 for 27 from the field (92.6 percent). 

Sixers’ stars key big, entertaining second quarter 

Offensively, the Sixers’ stars flowed together nicely and spearheaded an excellent second quarter.

Maxey sped past Caleb Martin and laid the ball in as his former teammate stumbled to the floor. Embiid assisted a Quentin Grimes corner three. Paul George drove through the Mavs’ defense and threw down a dunk that delighted his teammates.

The Sixers went up 11 points late in the second quarter when Edgecombe drained a long-range jumper. Edgecombe was one of the Sixers’ four double-figure scorers in the first half. Grimes added eight second-quarter points, too.

Edgecombe is up to nine 20-point games in the NBA, including six over his last eight outings.

Grimes plays important part in Sixers closing it out  

The Sixers used five players off the bench. Grimes logged 38 minutes as their sixth man.

Justin Edwards was the odd man out and Jabari Walker returned to the rotation after Dominick Barlow picked up two early fouls. Andre Drummond got the first crack at backup center minutes, but Adem Bona assumed that role in the second half and also got a stint next to Embiid for the last 84 seconds of the second quarter.

Barlow never escaped his foul trouble and ultimately committed his sixth personal with 7:33 left in the fourth quarter. Bona replaced him.

As they had in their Dec. 20 loss to the Sixers, the Mavs shoot poorly from three-point territory, going 6 for 28. Even without much three-point assistance, Dallas cut its deficit to 94-90 on a Naji Marshall leaner early in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers then produced a stretch of big-time shotmaking across the board.

Maxey kept delivering driving buckets and had a true do-it-all performance. Embiid buried a tightly guarded mid-range jumper, Grimes made a wing three and the Sixers’ lead was soon back in double digits.

Grimes played his best game in weeks with 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists.

Edgecombe’s hustle and defense shined as his team neared the finish line, Grimes nailed an important jumper to snap a late 7-0 Mavs run, and the Sixers gave themselves a shot at a winning road trip.

Posted on

Observations after Maxey nearly posts triple-double in Sixers' win over Mavs

Observations after Maxey nearly posts triple-double in Sixers' win over Mavs  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey was just two rebounds shy of his second career triple-double Thursday night in Dallas.

He led the Sixers to a 123-108 victory at American Airlines Center by tallying 34 points, 10 assists, eight rebeounds and two steals.

The Sixers improved to 18-14 this season and 2-2 on their five-game road trip. Dallas dropped to 12-23.

VJ Edgecombe posted 23 points, five rebounds and four steals. Joel Embiid had 22 points, six assists and four boards.

Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) were still out for the Sixers. 

The Sixers are now 2-2 on their road trip and will close it out Saturday night against the Knicks. Here are observations on the team’s win over the Mavs:

Defense late to the party again  

For the third straight game, the Sixers’ stops were minimal in the early going.

Dallas began 9 for 10 from the floor and took a 20-14 lead when Cooper Flagg burst forward for a fast-break jam.

The Sixers gave the Mavs far too many opportunities to score inside and allowed 26 first-quarter points in the paint. Overall, the Sixers’ defense has not been stellar this season in first quarters. Ahead of Thursday night’s game, here’s the team’s defensive rating by quarter:

  • First quarter: 119.4 (22nd in NBA)
  • Second quarter: 109.6 (Fourth)
  • Third quarter: 123.6 (30th)
  • Fourth quarter: 104.3 (First) 

Across the Sixers’ last three games, their opponents have combined to start a staggering 25 for 27 from the field (92.6 percent). 

Sixers’ stars key big, entertaining second quarter 

Offensively, the Sixers’ stars flowed together nicely and spearheaded an excellent second quarter.

Maxey sped past Caleb Martin and laid the ball in as his former teammate stumbled to the floor. Embiid assisted a Quentin Grimes corner three. Paul George drove through the Mavs’ defense and threw down a dunk that delighted his teammates.

The Sixers went up 11 points late in the second quarter when Edgecombe drained a long-range jumper. Edgecombe was one of the Sixers’ four double-figure scorers in the first half. Grimes added eight second-quarter points, too.

Edgecombe is up to nine 20-point games in the NBA, including six over his last eight outings.

Grimes plays important part in Sixers closing it out  

The Sixers used five players off the bench. Grimes logged 38 minutes as their sixth man.

Justin Edwards was the odd man out and Jabari Walker returned to the rotation after Dominick Barlow picked up two early fouls. Andre Drummond got the first crack at backup center minutes, but Adem Bona assumed that role in the second half and also got a stint next to Embiid for the last 84 seconds of the second quarter.

Barlow never escaped his foul trouble and ultimately committed his sixth personal with 7:33 left in the fourth quarter. Bona replaced him.

As they had in their Dec. 20 loss to the Sixers, the Mavs shoot poorly from three-point territory, going 6 for 28. Even without much three-point assistance, Dallas cut its deficit to 94-90 on a Naji Marshall leaner early in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers then produced a stretch of big-time shotmaking across the board.

Maxey kept delivering driving buckets and had a true do-it-all performance. Embiid buried a tightly guarded mid-range jumper, Grimes made a wing three and the Sixers’ lead was soon back in double digits.

Grimes played his best game in weeks with 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists.

Edgecombe’s hustle and defense shined as his team neared the finish line, Grimes nailed an important jumper to snap a late 7-0 Mavs run, and the Sixers gave themselves a shot at a winning road trip.