There is no more tightly contested division in the NHL right now than the Atlantic, which features several clubs that just can't seem to lose.
The main focus for fans of Hockeytown is the Detroit Red Wings, who are in a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the division's top spot; the Lightning have won 12 of their last 13 games.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all gone on prolonged winning streaks of their own. Only eight points separate the first seed from the fifth seed.
For the Red Wings, they understand the importance of raising their level of competition against Atlantic Division opponents.
"They mean a lot, it's a four-point game if you win in regulation, and you can get that advantage over them," Alex DeBrincat explained after scoring the overtime game-winner on Sunday evening against the Ottawa Senators, another Atlantic Division opponent. "An overtime win is good too, but I think you get more amped up for them. You see them four times a year, and there's a little bit of a rivalry there, so you have to be ready to play."
While the Red Wings didn’t get off to the start they wanted against Ottawa, they rallied for their second win over the Senators in two weeks after a 5–3 victory on Jan. 5.
Speaking of divisional opponents, the Red Wings will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday for the fourth and final time this season, barring a matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Red Wings, who have already defeated the Maple Leafs three times this season, have been mostly playing with more energy and "juice" in the eyes of head coach Todd McLellan.
“I think our guys have been coming to the rink with a lot of juice for all the games, which is a real good sign," McLellan said. "Now, divisional, yes, they understand the standings and circumstances of wins and losses."
"We talk about winning season series; we’ve got four points against this team now, and they have one," he continued. "We can’t quite have the series in the bag, but it certainly helps. Our group has been coming to play....for the most part, we're there."
Detroit has two remaining games against the Senators this season, starting with their first game in the post-Olympic break on Feb. 26, followed by the fourth and final matchup in Detroit on March 24.
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Cam Collier came off the board with the #6 ranking in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings of the top prospects in the Cincinnati Reds system, and is quite well deserving of the honor. Very excited to see what he can do in 2026 in what hopes to be a full, healthy season again.
Now, we turn our sights to the prospect who’ll claim spot #7.
Per usual, there will be a poll embedded at the bottom of the post where you can cast your vote, but if that’s stripped out you can also find the link to the ballot by clicking here (up until voting ends and I remove both access points).
Also, if there’s someone you think worthy of consideration at this point who has not yet been listed, let us know in the comment section below.
On to the candidates for spot #7!
Chase Petty, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: 6.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 102/58 K/BB in 112.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 13 ER in 6.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Three plus pitches, including a fastball that flirts with 100 mph and 60-grade slider and cutter
Cons: Lit up in first cups of MLB coffee, and struggled in AAA after being sent back down
Petty has long been on the radar of every scout in the game, a former 1st round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of high school (whom the Reds had eyes on drafting back then, too). He was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Sonny Gray the other way, and he’s pitched his way onto multiple Top 100 overall prospect lists since.
Of course, he’s also pitched his way back off those same lists, with much of his work in 2025 doing just that. He was shelled at the big league level, though that’s with the caveat that he’d just turned 22 years old when that went down. The stuff’s still there, he’s just struggled to blend it all together for long enough stretches to show he can be an effective big league starter. The hope is that the lumps he took in 2025 paired with a mostly healthy offseason for the first time in a while will send him into 2026 both ready and with something to prove.
Tyson Lewis, SS (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: .340/.396/.532 (.928 OPS) in 207 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .268/.347/.417 (.765 OPS) in 144 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)
Pros: Statcast darling with elite exit velocity and power with his left-handed swing; elite athleticism and plus speed gives him a chance to stick at SS long term, though a move off the position seems likely
Cons: Struck out at an alarming 35.4% rate with Daytona (and at an alarming 29.1% rate overall last year); .432 BABIP across all leagues last year screams ‘regression’
Tools. Tyson Lewis has just about every tool there is. He hit a ball over 119 mph in his pro debut, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska prior to being a 2nd round pick (with an overslot bonus) by the Reds, and was originally committed to the University of Arkansas.
The upside here is obvious, as he’s got one of the loudest bats at any level. The swing and miss stuff, though, is something he’ll have to completely overhaul as he moves up the ladder, though getting out of the extremely pitcher-friendly confines of the FSL will perhaps help that some.
Steele Hall, SS (18 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted 9th overall in the 1st round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds out of Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL); 2025 Mr. Baseball in the state of Alabama, once committed to powerhouse University of Tennessee before signing with the Reds for $5.75 million
Pros: Speed, and plenty of it; projectable power and potential five-tool player whose defense and arm look like they’ll play plenty well at short; just 17 years old when drafted after reclassifying a year early
Cons: It’s all still ‘projectable’ as, again, he just turned 18 after the draft and has zero professional PA to show for it
Hall reclassified to the class of 2025 despite originally being part of the class of 2026, and the Reds – who’d been scouting him already – thought he had the talent to eventually mature into a player who’d be in the mix for the #1 overall pick in 2026. So, when he was there at pick #9 in 2025, they jumped at the chance to sign him, knowing full well there was no rush for his development.
He’s drawn comparisons to the likes of Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, which is pretty damn lofty. Despite not having played a pro game and still being just 18, he’s ranked 79th in MLB Pipeline’s list of the Top 100 overall prospects in the game. How quickly he can physically mature and adapt to breaking balls at the top levels remains to be seen, but the speed, glove, and arm all look like they’ll be big-league caliber in very short order.
Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida
Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in
Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown
One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.
However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.
Jose Franco, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 118/54 K/BB in 110.0 IP split between AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League) and AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Fastball that flirts with triple digits with ease
Cons: Secondary pitches need work, and that’s impacting his overall command (and ability to limit walks)
Franco turned 25 years old in November and earned a promotion to the 40-man roster of the Reds shortly thereafter due to his consistent performance across the upper levels of their farm system.
The Reds have a few hulks they’ve put on the mound in recent years, and Franco thoroughly qualifies. He’s listed at 6’2” and an oddly specific 257 lbs, and his size and frame allows him to tap into his excellent fastball velocity with ease. It’s the pitch he misses bats with the most, but how well he can differentiate his breaking pitches (and improve his changeup command) will determine whether or not he can a) get left-handed hitter out with aplomb and b) avoid ending up in the bullpen.
He’s been a late bloomer, in part due to injuries that cost him his entire 2023 season, and if he continues the path he’s been on since getting healthy there could be a whole lot more from him as early as 2026 for Cincinnati.
Carlos Jorge, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .251/.342/.355 with 6 HR, 40 SB in 469 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Plus speed; former infielder moved to CF in 2023 and in 2025 looked like a natural there; plus speed; shaved 12.5% off K-rate from down 2024 season; 60-grade arm strength a weapon in CF
Cons: ISO declined for third straight year, this time precipitously; prone to extreme streakiness
If you threw out every other stop of Carlos Jorge’s pro career and just focused on the good ones, he’d already be ranked by now. The good parts of the best of his years have been quite tremendous, all told. He’s flashed great speed (40 steals in 2025), good pop for a small-ish CF (12 HR in 2023 and 2024; .483 SLG in the cavernous Florida State League in 2023), and the ability to play pretty elite CF defense (as recently as 2025).
However, he’s added some real clunkers in there, too. He hit just .220/.291/.394 with a K-rate over 31% at Dayton in 2024, and that came on the heels of hitting just .239/.277/.398 in 23 games once he reached Dayton at the end of 2023.
Maybe it’s just Dayton, where he was again in 2025 in a much better all-around year, even though his power dried up again. He’ll surely begin with AA Chattanooga of the Southern League in 2026, and at 22 (with his position in CF now settled) the former 2B might finally have a one-track shot to focus on his all around game in a new locale. After acing his move on defense, shaving off a ton of strikeouts, and bumping his walk rate back up over 11.1% (where it’s been for most of his career), perhaps 2026 will have a lot more in store for him.
Zach Maxwell, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 4.50 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 13/4 K/BB in 10.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds; 4.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 59/32 K/BB in 49.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Huge. Literally gigantic (6’6”, 275-ish lbs). Throws gas (100 mph+) with a devastating slider (70-grade). And he’s titanic.
Cons: Struggles with control (6.1 BB/9 across 172.1 IP in his minors career)
Maxwell, a former 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech, throws the ball up to 102 mph with his heater, and it’s clear that hitters have just about as little idea where it’s actually going to be as Maxwell himself. That’s the rub here, really, in that Big Sugar has the pure stuff to turn even the best hitters into guessers, and it comes down to whether they’ll guess wrong more often than Maxwell misses the zone in each and every PA.
If they swing, though, they’re likely going to miss, and that’s why he’s right in the mix for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen again in 2026 after making his debut there in 2025. He can be a bit wild if it’s effectively wild, and that’s a tightrope he’s been walking since his days back at North Paulding HS in Dallas, Georgia. When he’s locked in, though, the heater is backed up by an absolutely devastating slide piece, and that two-pitch mix – again, when he’s locked in – is good enough to be closer material. He’s just got to continue to refine his delivery.
The Cleveland Cavaliers ran into a buzzsaw today as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat them 136-104. Let’s see who won and lost the game.
WINNER – Lu Dort
This is the first time I’ve given ‘winner’ to an opponent this season. That’s not to say there haven’t been great performances from the other teams all season long. There have been. But Lu Dort’s defense on Donovan Mitchell has been impossible to ignore, dating back multiple seasons at this point.
Dort is built in a lab to defend Mitchell. He’s one of the only backcourt players in the NBA who have a comparable build. Dort is a stocky, quick-twitch athlete who can give Mitchell problems that no other defender in the league has been able to. He can beat Mitchell to his spot, and he’s strong enough to stop Mitchell from simply powering through him.
Mitchell finished this game shooting 5-18. Last season, Mitchell shot 3-16 and 3-15 in his two games against the Thunder. That’s 11-49 (22%) across three games.
Of course, not all of that is because of Dort. OKC’s strength is their defense. But Dort is a huge part of that, and he’s the best Mitchell-stopper in the NBA, if you ask me.
WINNER – Jarrett Allen Blocks
Highlights were few and far between today for the Cavs. But Jarrett Allen took home the two biggest plays of the day.
It started with what might be the best block of the Cavaliers’ season. Jaylen Williams was barreling towards the rim, ready to throw down a thunderous dunk, before Allen met him at the rim and sent Williams back reeling. I’m not sure if I’ve seen Allen block a shot with this much force before.
His second block was less eventful. It was a simple rotate-and-recover to stop a layup at the rim. But considering how the rest of the game went, these two blocks will be cherished.
LOSER – Lonzo Ball
I’m sorry to say, but we might have seen enough of Lonzo Ball this season. He has struggled to find his rhythym and the Cavs can’t afford to keep waiting for him to figure it out. At the very least, he needs a prolonged stretch on the bench before Kenny Atkinson can turn back to Ball for minutes.
Ball is shooting 27% from the three-point line this season. That didn’t stop him from jacking up four three-point attempts in his first five minutes on the court today. One of which was a step-back jumper from the corner early in the shot clock.
Zo threw the ball out of bounds on the very next play and didn’t return.
LOSER – Efficient Offense
The Thunder have been a historically good defense for two years in a row. If you’re going to beat them, you really have to earn it.
Cleveland’s offense didn’t earn it today.
The Cavs didn’t hit their first three-pointer of the game until late in the first quarter when Craig Proter Jr. bailed them out of a possession. They entered halftime shooting 4-18 from deep and continued to shoot 5-27 as the fourth quarter started.
Cleveland finished the game shooting just 8-35 from deep (22%).
You can’t beat this Thunder team if your offense isn’t playing sharp. The Thunder already do enough defensively to make your life difficult. Missing open shots — or worse — committing unforced turnovers is a recipe for disaster.
The Cavs had 21 turnovers. You can credit some of that to OKC’s defense. But you can also credit a handful of those turnovers to simple miscommunications or bad decision-making from Cleveland. Take throwing the ball out of bounds in the backcourt after a defensive rebound, for example. Or driving into a crowd and finding yourself stuck without a dribble. All of this is avoidable — and all of it plays directly into OKC’s hand.
You can slice this game up a million different ways. But a poor shooting night and a high-turnover rate is a death sentence against the Thunder.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a big loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-102. Cleveland shot 22% from deep.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
19 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds
This is a nightmare matchup for Mitchell. He’s shot 5-19 tonight, and was 3-15 and 3-16 in his previous two games against the Thunder. Lu Dort might be his kryptonite. It’s worse when Darius Garland isn’t available to take the heat off Mitchell.
Grade: F
Jaylon Tyson
16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists
Tyson was nearly perfect against the 76ers. But today, he went 1-4 from downtown and never found his groove. We’ll give him credit for a double-double (partially earned in garbage time), but the Thunder also forced Tyson into four turnovers before things got out of hand. This wasn’t as impactful a game as the box score suggests.
Grade: C+
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Games like this can be hard to grade for Mobley. On the surface, it’s a more than respectable box score when you take into account his elite defense. At the same time, just 16 points on 14 shots will leave you wanting so much more. Especially when Mitchell struggled, and Garland didn’t play.
Proctor again earned spot minutes off the bench as Cleveland’s guard rotation continues to thin. He looked a bit out of his depth against the reigning champs, but I can’t put too much of this on a second-round rookie.
Grade: D+
Craig Porter Jr.
9 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
The league’s best defense is a tough matchup for Porter, whose offensive limitations made it difficult for him to get downhill and create plays. Porter had a handful of nice finishes at the rim, but he got lost in the trees and turned it over a few times, too.
Grade: D
De’Andre Hunter
16 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers
Hunter shot the ball poorly from the floor (3-13) but found success at the free-throw line (8-8). He also had 9 rebounds, showing that he can find other ways to be a contributor even when his shot isn’t falling. That’s nice to see, but his 5 turnovers make this one hard to be happy about.
Allen had all of the highlight plays today. His huge block on Jaylen Williams and a thunderous dunk in the second half were some of the only moments that got the Cleveland crowd on their feet. He also forced his way to the line to shoot 8-10 on free throws.
Grade: B+
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
This was your average Nae’Qwan Tomlin game. A huge putback dunk and some chaotic defensive plays. He cleaned the glass for 5 defensive and 2 offensive rebounds, as well.
Grade: B+
Lonzo Ball
3 points, 1 assist
Ball only played five minutes when a couple of questionable three-point attempts and a turnover sent him right back to the bench.
Grade: F
Dean Wade
0 points, 2 rebounds
This was Wade’s first game back from a knee injury. He played 16 minutes and had the same number of points as you and me.
Jokes aside, it’s nice to have Wade back, and we hope he can find the rhythym he had before the injury.
The fans have had their say; now it's the coaches' turn.
Monday, the starters for the 2026 All-Star Game were announced — live on NBC — based on a fan vote (as well as players and select media). As a quick reminder, those starters are:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Stephen Curry Luka Doncic Shai Gilgious-Alexander Nikola Jokic Victor Wembanyama
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Giannis Antetokounmpo Jaylen Brown Jalen Brunson Cade Cunningham Tyrese Maxey
The next step is for the league's coaches to vote to select the seven reserves from each conference, with those players announced on NBC on Feb. 1. After that, the players will be divided into the two USA and one world team for the new All-Star Game format.
Who should be those All-Star reserves? Here are the picks of NBC NBA writers Kurt Helin and Eric Samulski, with some analysis.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
KURT HELIN'S PICKS
ERIc SAMULSKI'S PICKS
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Jalen Johnson (Hawks)
Jalen Johnson (Hawks)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)
Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)
Norman Powell (Heat)
Josh Giddey (Bulls)
Breakdown of picks
Kurt Helin: In the East, there were a lot of locks: Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, but there are a couple of names we both think should make it that maybe not a lot of fans have seen. Eric, make the case for Scottie Barnes in Toronto and Brooklyn's Michael Porter Jr.
Eric Samulski: Barnes is 12th among Eastern Conference starters in Player Impact Estimate, which I know is not a perfect stat, but as a baseball guy too, I do view it as similar to how baseball uses WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Barnes has played really strong defense while also averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while keeping the Raptors in the mix despite injuries of varying length to RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and Immanuel Quickley. I think he has emerged as the key cog on that team and has demonstrated the all-around game to be rewarded with an All-Star appearance.
Porter Jr. has also had a really good season. He's 8th in Player Impact Estimate while ranking 7th in the East with 25.7 points per game on a 58.8% effective field goal rate (eFG%). He's also averaging 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists while playing on a fairly mediocre team. I know people will think that playing on a bad team makes it easier to put up impressive numbers, but it also means that defenses can key on you with nobody else to really make them pay. The fact that Porter Jr. continues to produce despite that level of defensive attention is worthy of recognition.
Kurt: The fact that there are a lot of teams trying to trade for Porter right now speaks to his value — other front offices covet him for a reason.
We have six of the seven East bench players the same, but the only difference is that I have Norman Powell from Miami, and you have Josh Giddey from Chicago. These are two good players on mediocre teams who have had to carry a large load, and while Powell is scoring more (23.9 points per game) and doing it more efficiently (63 true shooting percentage), Giddey gives you more assists and rebounds. I picked Powell just because I see his impact in Miami keeping that team above .500, but Giddey was next on my list.
Eric: Giddey's recent injury does hurt his case a little bit, but he's also averaging essentially nine rebounds and assists per game. His offensive performance has been really well-rounded, and he's been carrying a team with far fewer playmakers than the Heat. His defensive rebounding rate is about the same as Josh Hart's and Giannis', and he has the 5th highest assist rate in the Eastern Conference. Powell has been tremendous for the Heat, but I had to reward Giddey's all-around offensive dominance and playmaking.
Kurt: Were there any snubs in the East you felt particularly bad about? Evan Mobley? Desmond Bane? To be honest, outside of choosing between Giddey and Powell for the last spot, and feeling bad about not including Pascal Siakam off the struggling Pacers, I was good with it.
Eric: Me as well. Siakam has been playing well, but I couldn't make the case for him. I really wish I could have chosen Franz Wagner because of how well he was playing before the injury, but he just missed too much time.
Western Conference
KURT HELIN'S PICKS
ERIK SAMULSKI'S PICKS
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Kevin Durant (Rockets)
Kevin Durant (Rockets)
Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
James Harden (Clippers)
Breakdown of picks
Kurt Helin: Eric, we agree on almost all of the bench All-Stars in the West. The conference is so deep that there seem to be a lot of locks: Anthony Edwards barely missed out on being a starter, and Houston deserves to have Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. One that may surprise a few people is Portland's Deni Adjiva. Did you think he was on the bubble or more of a lock guy who must make the team?
Eric Samulski: I considered Deni as a lock. He's 10th in the West in points per game, while also chipping in nearly seven rebounds and assists per game. He contributes in every area of the game and has kept the Trail Blazers competitive even with Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant sidelined for extended periods of time. I expect him to be the Most Improved Player in the league, and he deserves to be an All-Star.
Kurt: Agreed. Where we disagreed on our lists is that you have James Harden and Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers; I could only go with one and went with Leonard, who has just been a beast on both ends this season. That gave me room for Jamal Murray, who I feel deserves it.
Eric: Truthfully, you're probably right. I wanted to have Murray on this team, and maybe I should have, but it's hard to leave off a player who just moved to 9th all-time on the NBA scoring list. Murray and Harden are also averaging about the same points per game, but Harden is also averaging more rebounds and assists per game as well. So the stats are similar, if not slightly leaning towards Harden, and he probably deserves to be rewarded for the achievements he accomplished this season, especially with the game in LA.
Kurt: I think there has to be a Clipper with the game in LA, but I leaned into Leonard even though Harden carried this team through the start of the season (which didn't go terribly well for the Clippers), to be kind. To me, more than just All-Star-level stats (which he has), Murray has been critical to the Nuggets being top three in the West and 7-4 without Nikola Jokic. He's earned his first All-Star nod.
But there are no easy choices in the West. Leaving off Devin Booker hurts.
Eric: I agree. The Suns are a team that has drastically outperformed my expectations, and it feels odd that we can't reward anybody on that team with an appearance. Booker was behind Murray for me on the "next man up" list.
Kurt: I felt that way about Booker, and frankly, Julius Randle and Lauri Markkanen. All are deserving in a stacked conference that's so deep with talent that great players are not going to make the cut.
The one other hard question in the West: Should this be an All-Star Game without LeBron James?
Eric: If you had asked me three weeks ago, I would have said yes, but I'm not so sure now. Over the last month, he's averaging 26 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He has been playing at an elite level, so I can see him getting an extra spot courtesy of Adam Silver. If we knew for sure that it would be his last season, then I would say it would be a lock.
Kurt: I found it interesting that even the fans didn't vote him in, where I thought his popularity (and Lakers nation) would have put him over the top. I'm with you, he needs a special designation from Silver, an All-Star Game in Los Angeles has to have LeBron.
The Golden State Warriors will play the Miami Heat for Monday’s Martin Luther King Day matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors moved to a season-best five games above .500 after defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, 136–116. It was a true team effort for Golden State, with eight players scoring in double figures. The Warriors shot 54.8 percent from the field and stayed hot from beyond the arc, knocking down 23 of their 52 three-point attempts (44.2 percent).
Golden State’s offensive rhythm continues to roll, as Saturday marked their third straight game with 10 different players making at least one three-pointer — a feat that has never been accomplished in NBA history.
The Warriors are the first team in NBA history to have 10 players make at least one 3-pointers in three straight games @NBCSWarriors
Curry on Golden State's recent 3-point shooting: "We have capable shooters all up and down the roster. … It's how you create good looks that get everybody involved. It's a fun way to play, not knowing who's going to get (the ball) on any possession."
Saturday’s blowout win came despite a surprising late scratch for Warriors wing Jimmy Butler, who was ruled out shortly before tip-off. After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said he was informed by general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. that Butler missed the game due to personal reasons.
Steve Kerr on Jimmy Butler’s late scratch and how the Warriors, said he doesn’t expect it to be anything long term:
“I got the word from Mike [Dunleavy] that everything is fine. He just had a personal thing that came up right before the game.” pic.twitter.com/G95j5XK4es
While Butler is expected to return for Monday night’s matchup against his former team in the Heat, Golden State will be without De’Anthony Melton, who will be sitting out the first night of this back-to-back.
De’Anthony Melton is out for the Warriors tomorrow night against the Heat on the front side of a back-to-back. They face the Raptors on Tuesday night. Jimmy Butler is not on the injury report after missing Saturday night for personal reasons.
In addition to Butler’s return, former Warrior Andrew Wiggins will make his first appearance at the Chase Center since last year’s blockbuster trade. Wiggins was a key piece of Golden State’s 2022 championship run and should receive a warm ovation in his return to the Bay.
I hope Dub Nation gives him a GREAT welcome back tonight!! He deserves it. https://t.co/Lw9YdioBC3
MADRID (AP) — Akor Adams scored a second-half double, the second of which was a last-gasp penalty, to give Sevilla a 2-2 draw at home to Elche on Monday and stop it from recording a fifth consecutive loss.
Sevilla came into the match having failed to score in its last four, and pressure on Argentine coach Matías Almeyda was mounting.
The match quickly seemed to get away from it as Elche took the lead after 14 minutes, with Aleix Febas drilling a low shot into the bottom corner for only his second goal of the season.
German Valera made it 2-0 early in the second half when he stroked home a low drive through a sea of legs after the ball was cleared from a corner kick.
But Adams pulled his side back into the match 15 minutes from time when he showed quick reflexes to prod home from close range after the ball had come back off the post.
Just back from the Africa Cup of Nations, the Nigeria international then secured the draw two minutes into stoppage time when he side-footed home a perfect penalty.
Sevilla had also hit the woodwork twice. The result leaves it in 14th place on 21 points.
Those pesky young Wizards fought in this game. This is despite the dominance of James Harden. As the game went on, the Wizards decided to double team Harden to get the ball out of his hands more. Harden did a great job of moving the ball to the open man and making the Wizards pay for it.
The Wizards countered by making the oldest team in the league do what any young team should do, make them play in transition more. This adjustment helped the Wizards to get out of the gates in the 2nd half with a 10-point lead. That lead would soon evaporate as the Wizards could not keep up the momentum.
Washington’s Achilles’ heel in this game was turnovers. 19 turnovers for the game, especially the ‘live ball’ turnovers killed the Wizards’ momentum at points in this game. Clippers got 21 points off of turnovers and also won the battle of points in the paint, 60-38. Those two issues stopped the Wizards from having a chance in this one.
Wizards lose this one 110-106. Next up, they will host the Denver Nuggets at Capital One Arena on Thursday evening.
BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Teenage substitute Charalampos Kostoulas scored with an audacious overhead kick in a stoppage-time to give Brighton a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Monday.
The 18-year-old Greece international received a knock-down from Jan Paul van Hecke, chested the ball up in the air and then executed a perfect bicycle kick from about 10 yards out.
“I’ve seen him score better in training, but that was unbelievable," Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said of the late strike. "He’s a special talent. You’ve seen glimpses, and there’ll be many more things to come from him. He’s adapting to the country, new league, and he’s shown what he can do. That shows exactly what he can do.”
The result extends Brighton's unbeaten run to five games and leaves it in 12th place in the Premier League, three points and three places above its south coast rivals.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team started well but faded after an encouraging first few minutes and Bournemouth took the lead with a disputed penalty in the 32nd minute.
Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was adjudged to have fouled Amine Adli in the box and after a video review Marcus Tavernier confidently dispatched the penalty.
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola lamented giving up the late goal and decried what he said was a run in which it seemed like “everything is going against us.”
But he was sanguine about the quality of Kostoulas's decisive strike.
“It is an incredible goal, it is an overhead kick into the top corner, and we finish with a point," he said. "It is a shame because the players have done an incredible effort. We are going point by point and we have to keep going.”
The announcement came during the NBA on NBC pregame show ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Cleveland Cavaliers game to tip-off the league's Martin Luther King Jr. Day broadcast slate.
The fan vote accounted for 50% of the selection process, along with a survey of NBA players and a media panel that were each responsible for 25%. The starters were chosen regardless of position.
Dončić -- who led both previous rounds of the fan vote in the weeks leading up to Monday's reveal -- held onto his lead with 3,402,967 total votes. He was the only player in the Western Conference to break three million votes; the next closest player to him was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received 3,218,398 votes.
Despite being the top vote-getter among fans, Doncic finished sixth in the player survey and second in the media survey with 95 votes apiece. Notably, his Lakers running mate, LeBron James, saw his 21-year all-star starter streak end.
NBA All-Star Game starters
Western Conference
Here is the full starting five for the West:
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (12th All-Star selection)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (fourth)
This year's All-Star Weekend will be held from February 13-15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The festivities will tip-off on Friday with the Celebrity All-Star Game and Rising Stars Game, followed by the three-point and dunk contest on Saturday all leading up to Sunday's All-Star Game.
This year's format, however, will be a little different. Instead of a traditional East vs. West matchup or the pickup-style experiments of years past, the NBA is pivoting to a USA vs. the World format. The All-Stars will be split into three teams consisting of eight players and will compete in a round-robin tournament. Reserves will be chosen by the coaches, though there is a contingency plan in which commissioner Adam Silver would fill out the teams if there are not enough domestic or international players.
Brandon Bussi made a few spectacular saves and the Carolina Hurricanes rode him to defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 2-1 on Monday afternoon at the Lenovo Center.
Bussi, who has been setting NHL records since his time with Carolina, set another one on Monday. He won his first 18 NHL games in the shortest period of time in NHL history, just 22 games. His record is now 18-3-1.
A couple of Bussi’s saves were unbelievable including one against a wide open Tage Thompson where the TNT announcers thought the sharpshooter had scored and announced it as such, but the replay actually showed that the goaltender had somehow gloved the shot.
The Hurricanes have now won three games in a row and they are 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
Just a minute and change into the game, Rasmus Dahlin fired a shot that got past Bussi to give the visitors the early lead.
Later in the opening period, the red hot Andrei Svechnikov tied the score off another nice pass from Sebastian Aho.
Svechnikov now has five goals in the last three games and Aho has assists on all of them.
Both teams battled back and forth in an entertaining, physical match up.
Two minutes into the third period, Seth Jarvis scored a powerplay goal to give the home team a lead they would struggle to hold onto the rest of the way.
Bussi made a few saves right up until the final moment to hold the Carolina lead.
The Canes now have a couple of well earned days off before they play their next game against Chicago on Thursday night.
Stephen Curry just became the oldest point guard ever voted to start an All-Star Game at 37 years old. He did it by beating out a 23-year-old Anthony Edwards who by many accounts is having a better statistical season. He did it in the same announcement that ended LeBron James’ 22-year stranglehold on All-Star starter status. And he did it knowing full well that Father Time is undefeated, even if Curry keeps trying to break his ankles with every hesitation dribble.
This is the fascinating inflection point of Curry’s career. He’s caught in basketball purgatory: the space between “still elite” and “eventually mortal.” He’s not chasing the longevity records that define careers like Kareem’s or LeBron’s. His late start to superstardom, those ankle injuries that nearly derailed everything, the way he didn’t make his first All-Star team until age 25? All of it ensures that the volume stats will never tell his full story.
But right now, Curry occupies something even more interesting: he’s the bridge between eras, the standard that the next generation has to meet while simultaneously being the gatekeeper they have to overcome. There’s a relatively high level of shock radiating through basketball social media for Curry being selected over Anthony Edwards to start the exhibition.
Edwards is an absolute monster on the court, and many probably assumed he was the clear choice over Curry. But the fans (50% of the vote) and the players said no. Not yet.
Curry finished third in fan voting, second in player voting, which propelled him to his 12th All-Star Game. Even diminished, even on an struggling Warriors team, Curry remains the most compelling argument for why basketball transcends box scores.
Here’s what makes this moment deliciously complex: Curry knows he’s not winning this war against Father Time. But Curry’s is absolutely trying to win every individual battle with such style that when the war is finally lost, his legacy will burn throughout history. If you had told me back in 2011 that the skinny guard next to Monta Ellis would be an All-Star, I’d be like “I hope so but when??”. Now he’s tied with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and Hakeem Olajuwon at 12. Oh yeah and Warrior legend Rick Barry! Not bad for a guy who was supposedly too small, too fragile, and too one-dimensional.
But unlike LeBron, who’s defying age by rewriting the athletic longevity blueprint, Curry’s rebellion looks different. He moves with deliberateness now, a calculated dismantling with very cut, dribble, and screen. He’s methodically deadly from anywhere on the court, moving at his own pace.
Edwards will get his moment. The 24-year-old is everything the modern NBA demands: athletic, versatile, clutch. He’s is definitely a major part of the future of basketball.
But today? The old guard said: not yet, young king. Go head Steph, show em how it’s done!
ROME (AP) — Nico Paz scored a brace but missed a penalty as Como comfortably beat Lazio 3-0 in Serie A on Monday to record a third consecutive away win by the same scoreline.
The win also puts Como just two points behind fifth-place Juventus, while Lazio is in ninth, with only one win in its last six games.
Martin Baturina scored the opener after two minutes although he was lucky that his shot took a deflection before hitting the net.
Paz was running the midfield with the poise that won him the Serie A’s Rising Star of the Month award in August and September and doubled Como’s lead midway through the first half when he rifled home a left-foot shot from close range.
The Spanish-born Argentina international but saw his penalty saved in the 35th minute but still added a second goal four minutes after the break.
Baturina’s cheeky backheel set Paz up and he stroked home a precise finish from the edge of the box.
Verona remains bottom
Verona remains rooted to the bottom of the league after a 0-0 draw at Cremonese earlier Monday.
Giovane came close to breaking the deadlock for the visitors but the stalemate extended Verona’s winless run to six games.
Verona is level with Pisa on 14 points remains in last place on goal difference. Both clubs are three points adrift of Lecce and Fiorentina.
I had the great privilege of chatting with Baseball America National Writer Carlos Collazo. We had a very fun discussion about his background, the Nationals’ new regime, the state of the Nats farm system and the 2026 draft. He provided great insights, as you would expect from one of the best prospect evaluators and writers in the space.
How He Got Started:
Ever since he was a kid, Carlos Collazo has been in love with baseball. His dad taught Carlos and his brothers to play the game at a very young age. By the time he was four, a young Carlos Collazo was all-in on baseball. Like most kids, Collazo dreamed of being a big league player.
He played through high school, and even had a D3 offer. However, he had realized that his playing career was not going to progress beyond that. Collazo, who already had a growing passion for writing, decided to go to the University of North Carolina to pursue a career in journalism.
This led him to Baseball America, which was headquartered in that area back then. He landed an internship at BA before turning that into a full-time job. Collazo has been working for BA since 2017.
Along the way, Collazo has met plenty of interesting people in the baseball industry. One of the people he formed a connection with over the years is new Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni. He told me that, “Paul Toboni is one of the few POBO’s I have gotten to know prior to him becoming a the top guy”.
Collazo said that he has a lot of respect for what Toboni did in Boston and holds the people he has hired in high regard. As a younger writer who has spent a lot of time in the scouting world, Collazo has a unique insight into Toboni, as well as the baseball world as a whole.
Nationals BA Connection:
There is one hire Toboni made that Collazo has an extra special connection to though. Just over a week ago, the Nationals hired Peter Flaherty to be the Northeast area scouting supervisor. Flaherty worked with Collazo on draft content for Baseball America over the last few years.
The two had a special relationship, with Collazo calling him “my side-kick”. Unlike Collazo, who arrived at BA straight out of college, Flaherty had scouting experience. He worked with the Yankees for a year and spent his summers working in the Cape Cod League. Collazo said that, “Peter has a natural feel for evaluating and scouting players”.
While he is excited for his friend, Collazo told me he was going to miss his pal. He noted that he is “very sad to see him leave from a selfish perspective because he’s done an awesome job helping us elevate our draft coverage”. Collazo’s loss is the Nationals gain, as it seems like the organization is getting a great scout and someone Collazo described as an A+ human.
Thoughts on Washington Nationals Prospects:
Flaherty will help rebuild a Nationals farm system that Collazo sees as solid, but underwhelming. While he is high on some of the prospects, Collazo does not think the system is where it needs to be considering how much the Nats have been losing in recent years.
None of the Nats prospects are going to appear in the top 15 of BA’s next update. For a team that has not had a winning season since 2019, you would like to see more blue chip talent in the system. That is not to say the Nats have a bad system according to Collazo.
One guy he really likes is 2025 first overall pick Eli Willits. The high school shortstop got overshadowed by the more famous Ethan Holliday, but Collazo is very high on Willits. He did not appreciate some of the rhetoric about Willits being the cheap option, saying, “There were a lot of narratives that kind of got out of control that I did not appreciate”.
Collazo did not think that selecting Willits first overall was a reach, and noted that Willits was a top 3 player on their board in a draft without a clear top player. According to him, Willits was the most well rounded offensive player in the class and had less swing and miss questions than Ethan Holliday.
One move that really excited Collazo was the Harry Ford trade. He called it, “the exact kind of deal you want to make if you are a team like the Nationals”. While he sees Jose A. Ferrer as a good reliever, Collazo noted that quality relievers are a luxury rather than a necessity for rebuilding teams like the Nats. If you can move a reliever for a quality prospect like Ford, you should do it, at least according to him.
This logic makes plenty of sense. It is much harder to find a legitimate starting catcher than it is to find a reliever. Bullpen arms emerge all the time, but starting catchers are not something that you can find for cheap.
As a player, Collazo likes Ford’s offensive game. He noted that Ford has been productive for multiple seasons in the minors now. With his success in AAA last year, Collazo noted that Ford is, “ready for a chance to prove what he can do in the big leagues”. Given the presence of Cal Raleigh, he was never going to get that chance in Seattle.
Collazo, and those around the game are more skeptical about Ford’s defense though. He said that there are split opinions around the game as to whether Ford can stick behind the plate. The Nationals are going to give him a shot, but this is something worth monitoring. Fortunately, Ford does have the athleticism to play the outfield.
2026 Draft Deep Dive:
One thing Collazo was excited about is the upcoming 2026 draft. He called it, “one of the deeper, more impactful classes I have covered in a few years”. Unfortunately for the Nats, they are not able to pick at the top of this year’s class due to the lottery rules.
Collazo sees UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky as the clear cut number 1 overall pick heading into the season. If he was in the 2025 class, Collazo said the Nats would have had no debates about who to take. He sees Cholowsky as someone who is close to being a generational talent, though he did not fully commit to using the G word.
While it is a bummer that the Nats will not be able to take Cholowsky, Collazo is still very bullish on this class. He mentioned a group of college hitters, including Sawyer Strosnider, Derek Curiel and Chris Hacopian as potential options for the Nats. On the high school hitting side, he shouted out Jacob Lomard, Tyler Spangler and Blake Bowen.
Collazo is also excited by the three best college arms, which he sees as Liam Peterson, Cameron Flukey and Jackson Flora. Even though the Nats are not picking until 11, Collazo is confident that they can come out of this draft with a great haul.
He also seems more confident that these players will get the development they need. Under the old regime, Collazo said that the team “really struggled to make the players they are getting into their system better”. He added that he is curious to see if that can change under this new regime.
Some players he thinks the new regime could help include Alex Clemmey and Seaver King. When it comes to Clemmey, he just needs to throw more strikes. Collazo said he loves Clemmey’s stuff but projects him as a reliever right now due to his control issues.
Collazo really liked King coming out of college due to his athleticism and sneaky power. Despite a rough year, Collazo is still confident in King because of those attributes. He was encouraged by King’s showing in the AFL and is intrigued to see if he can keep that momentum going.
Overall, Collazo appeared cautiously optimistic about the state of the Nats. He loved the hires the new regime has made, but still seems to believe the team is not that close yet. It was really fun to talk to Carlos and our conversation was fascinating. If you want to see his work, subscribe to Baseball America, or watch some of his content on the BA Youtube channel. He is one of the best in the business, and it was a real pleasure to chat with him.
