AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dailyn Swain scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Texas pulled ahead midway through the second half to beat South Carolina 84-75 on Tuesday night.
Tramon Mark added 18 points for Texas (14-9, 5-5 Southeastern Conference). Camden Heide and Matas Vokietaitis chipped in with 12 points apiece. Texas finished 29-of-36 shooting from the line (81%), with Swain hitting all nine of his free-throw attempts. Heide made three of the Longhorns' seven 3-pointers.
Heide made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Longhorns the lead for good, 56-50, with 10:37 to play. The Gamecocks later used a 5-0 spurt to cut the deficit to 70-68 with 3:23 to go. Swain answered with a jumper and dunk.
Meechie Johnson scored a career-best 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting to lead South Carolina. He also made 10 of 14 free throws. Elijah Strong added 12 points for the Gamecocks (11-12, 2-8), who have four straight and seven of eight.
South Carolina opened on a 16-7 run and didn't trail until Texas closed the first half on 7-3 surge for a 35-31 lead at the break. Vokietaitis scored eight points and Swain added seven. Johnson scored 15 first-half points for the Gamecocks.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 3: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks and Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards look on during the game on February 3, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One day coach Brian Keefe will bring a football to practice and the Wizards will discover they’ve been playing the wrong sport all along. Until then, Washington (13-36) will continue to play their unique brand of NBA hoops. Tonight, they hosted the Knicks (32*-18), and there was so much orange and blue in the crowd that this was essentially a home game for New York. The third-quarter MVP chant for Jalen Brunson shook the shingles on Capital One Arena, and when the Knicks finished with a 132-101 win—their seventh straight—more than half of those in attendance left satisfied.
New York had the game in their grip from the tip, ripping off seven straight points before Washington noticed the game was underway. Josh Hart should be called Elmer because the dude is all glue. He rebounded, pushed the pace, and created clean looks for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and himself. In a game cut short by injury, Josh recorded just four points, but his seven boards, seven dimes, and endless energy powered him to a +34.
Meanwhile, Brunson sputtered from deep (21 points, 7-16 FG, 1-6 3PT) but delivered on the other end, like when he stepped in front of Sarr to draw a league-leading 14th charge. The Wiz, meanwhile, shot 11-of-31 from deep tonight and mostly survived on midrange jumpers and whatever they could scrounge up in the paint. That old pro Middleton was the only reliable ‘Zard, finishing with 12 points. Bub Carrington scored a very low-calorie 14.
Bridges set the tone on both ends. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from deep and two blocks—one at the rim on Coulibaly, another chasing down Carrington on the perimeter. Add Anunoby’s three three-pointers and a 7-of-13 team mark from deep, and the first quarter closed with New York up 38–22.
Second frame, the results were the same. With Tyler Kolek handling point guard duties, the Knicks continued to methodically make their shots and apply defensive screws. Towns was the anchor, scoring at the rim, stepping out for a three, cleaning the glass, and even jumping a passing lane for a steal. He would finish the game with a league-leading 33rd double-double, scoring 19 points, 15 boards, three assists, and two steals in 26 minutes. Not a bad night of work for the All-Star who got piggy-back rides from Sarr all night.
Midway through the second quarter, the floodgates opened. In a 95-second stretch, the Knicks scored 14 unanswered points to go ahead by 29. Washington was doomed. Middleton tried his best, and Sarr showed occasional flashes, but undercut them with turnovers and fouls. But Washington was doomed.
By the break, New York was ahead 72-45, with their biggest halftime lead of the season. They had outshot the home team from the field, 55% to 39%, and from deep, 50% to 33%. New York had assists on 16 of their 24 made field goals, won the boards (27-20), and blocked five shots. In the first half, Towns led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Middleton had seven points for the hosts.
The Knicks brought the same dominance to Q3. OG (19 points, 6-of-11 FG) and Mikal scored on cuts and floaters while Brunson mixed drives, free throws, and a pull-up three to keep the lead in the 20s. Washington found a smattering of offense from Carrington and Middleton, but they could never gain ground. Nor did they have an answer for KAT, who scored at will in the paint, scrubbed the boards, and cleaned up at the free-throw line. The lead reached 32. Even when the Knicks fell into a shooting lull, Washington couldn’t get their act together. The only bummer of the period was when Josh Hart left the game, limping to the locker room. Otherwise, the sailing was smooth. Knicks up 102-71 going into the fourth.
Washington continued to take their lumps in the final frame. The lead ballooned to 41, so Coach Brown fielded a bench crew of Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Dillon Jones, Trey Jemison, and Ariel Hukporti. Kolek had a rough shooting night (3 points, 1-0f-7 FG), but logged six assists and two turnovers in his 21 minutes. The rest of the bench contributed meaningfully, too. Huk protected the rim plus scored 12 points, nine boards, and a three-pointer (!); Mohamed Diawara scored five points and facilitated two dimes in four minutes before an ankle injury cut short a promising performance; and Landry Shamet chipped in 14 points, making 4-of-6 from range.
Up Next
Quoth Jaybugkit, “Good stuff, no drama stress free team win.” Now our heroes zip back to NYC for a tilt with the Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets tomorrow. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against Alex Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Oh boy. This was not a good game at all. The Washington Wizards lost to the New York Knicks, 132-101 on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena.
Washington never led in this game and were behind by as many as 41 points at one point in the fourth quarter. That tells you all you need to know about how this game went.
Mikal Bridges scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the game. For Washington, Will Riley led with 17 points. The biggest statistical disparity here was that the Knicks dished a total of 34 assist while the Wizards only nasty 19 assists themselves. Even if the Wizards evened up the assist margin, they probablty would have still lost, but it wouldn’t have been so lopsided.
I’m just not in a good mood right now, so less is more with this recap.
The Wizards’ next game is on Thursday when they head on the road to play the Detroit Pistons. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.
This time it came down to a missed fadeaway 3-pointer from Buffalo's Ryan Sabol to win 73-71 after the 24th-ranked Redhawks (23-0, 11-0 in MAC play) were unable to go up 5-points on a pair of missed free throws from Luke Skaljac, who finished with a team-high 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and five steals, four rebounds and three assists.
It's the second time in the last two and a half weeks that Miami was able to escape an upset against Buffalo.
The way Miami's game played out — a missed free throw and having the other team go short on a game-winning 3-point attempt — was its second close call in the last seven days, with the other being an 86-84 win over UMass on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
It also marked the fourth single-digit win in the last five games for the Redhawks, with two of them coming against the Bulls.
If that wasn't enough off the laundry list of game finishing stats, Sabol's missed 3-point attempt keeps Miami as one of the two remaining undefeated teams in men’s college basketball with Arizona. The Redhawks entered the week at No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports' mid-major program power ranks.
"The results will take care of themselves if our process is right," Miami coach Travis Steele told USA TODAY Sports' Craig Meyer recently on the Redhawks' run. "It may not always happen immediately, but eventually it will figure itself out. That’s why our guys have been so loose. We feel no pressure, none. Our guys are enjoying it. We’re having fun on this journey together."
Miami will look to extend its 23-game win streak on the road in Huntington, West Virginia against Marshall at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 7.
Miami Ohio basketball 2026 schedule
Here's who the RedHawks have left on their schedule:
In a wild twist of scheduling fate, the Cavaliers play the Clippers in LA on Wednesday night, although it's unlikely that either man plays for his new team. It is possible this is Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis' Cavaliers debuts.
The Cavaliers, who want to contend now in a wide-open Eastern Conference, pick up a point guard they think can help them get there. Harden has shown he can play at a near-All-Star level at age 36, averaging 25.4 points per game this season. Harden's passing will be an upgrade for the Cavaliers, as is the fact that he has been largely healthy this season while Garland has not. That said, Harden's defense, ball dominance and fit next to Donovan Mitchell are concerns.
The Clippers and Harden had been working together for a couple of weeks to find a trade that worked for both of them and there was no animosity, according to reports. That said, this was all about the money and the direction the team was headed.
Harden has a player option for $42.3 million next season, but only $13.3 million of that is guaranteed. Harden sought assurances that the Clippers would not exercise their option, so he would receive his full salary next season, and he also wanted to discuss an extension next summer (Harden is not extension-eligible during the season). The Clippers are in a different place than the Cavaliers, they are not contenders and they are an older team. The Clippers are looking to pivot away from the Harden/Kawhi Leonard era over the next couple of years and did not want to discuss an extension. That led to the decision to find him a trade.
While the Clippers have pushed to keep their 2027 books clean so they can chase free agents, the chance to land a 26-year-old All-Star point guard was too good to pass up, even if it messes with that plan.
Both the Clippers and Cavaliers have been playing their best basketball of the season in recent weeks. How this trade impacts that for both teams will be something to watch.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Isaiah Collier had a career-high 22 assists — the most in the NBA this season and the most by a Utah player since John Stockton in 1992 — and the Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 131-122 on Tuesday night with just seven healthy players.
The last NBA player with 22 assists in a game was Denver's Nikola Jokic last March 7. Collier, who played the entire game, also scored 17 points as all seven Utah players had 14 points or more. Brice Sensabaugh scored 20, Ace Bailey had 19 and Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Quenton Johnson scored 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Jarace Walker also had 24 for the Pacers, who held out four regular starters — All-Star Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell — for rest or because of minor injuries. All four played a night earlier, when Indiana lost 118-114 to visiting Houston.
Little-used Kam Jones, a healthy scratch on Monday, made his first career start for the Pacers and had 12 points.
Keyonte George (ankle), Kevin Love (illness) and Walker Kessler (shoulder) sat out for the Jazz. Jusuf Nurkic was listed as available with an illness but did not play.
Stockton had 22 assists for Utah on Dec. 18, 1992 against Philadelphia. The Hall of Famer also had eight games with 23 or more, including a career-best 28 on Jan. 15, 1991 against San Antonio.
With the Utah Jazz limited to 8 players tonight, due to the Jazz’s blockbuster trade acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. (and “illnesses”), they still found a way to beat the Pacers 131-122. The Pacers also had an unfortunate case of the flu, which happened to spread throughout their entire team; ultimately leaving them with 7 total available players. Believe it or not, one of the biggest losses tonight was Jusuf Nurkic being out; the Indiana Pacers were feasting on Kyle Filipowski and Lauri Markkanen, who were attempting to fill in the center position. This is a perfect example as to why the Utah Jazz made the trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. in the first place, and is a point of emphasis regarding Walker Kessler and a hopeful contract extension after the 2025-26 season is over. Below, I’ll touch on a few young players and their role with the Jazz going forward, along with snippets from tonight’s game vs Indiana.
We have completed a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies to acquire F/C Jaren Jackson Jr., G John Konchar, C Jock Landale and F Vince Williams Jr.
Now, because the Utah Jazz are headed towards contention next year, the Jazz’s youth have to start showing signs of life if they want to be a part of what Utah is building. Tonight felt like a perfect opportunity for them to show what they can do. Out of the young guys who were on the floor tonight, and if I had to choose one guy who shines in his role more than others on a consistent basis, Brice Sensabaugh has shown what he can do on an NBA floor at a high level — and that skill is putting the ball in the basket. Realistically, Brice’s role is coming off the bench as the 6th-9th man on the roster. Why? Unfortunately, he is an abysmal defender, and with it being year 3 of his NBA career, and with the long track record of poor defensive production before he even stepped foot into the league, what we see now is likely around the production that he’ll provide for the foreseeable future. Along with other qualms, such as passing, this is why he is projected to be a rotation-level player instead of a consistent starter. However, the Jazz scaling him down and allowing to let him play his game in short stints can be beneficial next year as we attempt to make the playoffs. Tonight he scored 20 points and then added on 5 assists and a rebound.
Filipowski had a really solid outing tonight where he tallied a double-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds, along with 5 assists, 3 steals, and a block. I believe he also can carve out a role for the Jazz down the line, too. It seems the Jazz are embracing the thought of handling bigs, which has been a trend since the very start of the Jazz rebuild when they brought in Kelly Olynyk. Not only has this been a trend with the Jazz, but the Ainge’s constructed Celtics’ teams that have won championships with bigs who can pass in high-low actions, from the post, finding cutters, and running handoffs for guards in bigs like Kevin Garnett (yes, he could pass) and Al Horford. I think this is something Jaren will be able to provide on occasion, despite not being considered a passer throughout his career. If Kyle can clean up some of his passing turnovers and bring consistent spacing, then he could be a nice player to slide into a lineup with either Jaren or Walker, who can make up for Flip’s borderline non-existent rim presence.
I don’t have much to say about Collier, generally speaking, but here is a post I have posted previously on Twitter:
Isaiah Collier has been a detriment to this Utah Jazz team. On average, Jazz players dip 18.7 points in net rating when they are on the court with Isaiah Collier. Below I touched on his on-ball usage and how it is not ideal for him to dominate the ball as much as he does, and he… https://t.co/80fWjdd5vPpic.twitter.com/LNsfzKWknj
Tonight, however, he had a fantastic outing where he dropped a DOUBLE-DOUBLE with 17 points (6/16 FG) and 22 assists. He also managed to tack on 5 rebounds and 3 steals to his line. There is a world where he is our backup point guard going into next season, where he can facilitate the bench unit’s offense, and if we were to play him in a small-ball lineup with Jaren at the 5, then that could open up the floor for him, where he’s able to get to the rim at ease just like he did tonight. The shooting and defense remain a big question mark, along with the fact that he carries more on-ball usage than is usually warranted for his archetype & playstyle.
The Pacers look like they have something with Johnny Furphy! He’s a guy who can dribble, pass, shoot, and dunk the basketball, all at 6’8”. I thought he was the most productive player on the court for the Pacers, and he finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in the loss to the Jazz.
Jazz basketball is going to look pretty different in the coming weeks, and I wonder how good we can be down the road. Only one way to find out; it’s going to be a wild ride! GO JAZZ!
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the second quarter at Intuit Dome on March 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is a fascinating trade. Let’s grade it for both sides.
Cavs grade for James Harden trade
The rule of thumb in sports is that you don’t trade young for old. The Cavs broke that rule by acquiring the 36-year-old Harden for the 26-year-old Garland. The difference in this case is that the older player has actually been more durable.
Garland has had some bizarre injury issues in Cleveland including a broken jaw and a sprained toe. Garland’s toe injury significantly slowed him down in the 2025 NBA Playoffs and helped cause the Cavs’ second-round exit after a 64-win regular season. Garland never looked like himself this season after missing a bunch of games nursing the toe, and Cleveland obviously felt like it couldn’t count on him down the stretch.
Harden is having an awesome year, and was one of our top All-Star snubs. He’s averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game on 60 percent true shooting so far this season. Harden is a fascinating fit with Mitchell, who had been spending more on-ball time this year. Harden remains just about the most on-ball heavy player in the league, and he’s never been much of a threat without the ball. This trade frees Mitchell to do more off-ball work which could be effective, but it will only be maximized if Harden can add some value when the ball isn’t in his hands.
Harden has a $42.3 million player option after this season. It seemed like he would pick that up before this week, but now it might be a question after he yearned for a two-year, $80 million extension. Before the Cavs think about their future with Harden, they just need to get through this season. Harden is always a great regular season player, but he’s notoriously terrible (by his standards) in the playoffs. Cleveland felt like it couldn’t rely on Garland to be his best self physically, but does it really think it can count on Harden to produce when it really matters?
I just don’t get the Cavs’ logic for this trade. If they wanted to move off Garland, trading him for a haul of future assets was a smarter play than this. Of course, Cleveland wants to give itself a chance to make a run this year in a wide open Eastern Conference, and it didn’t think Garland was capable of helping them in that push.
Fading Garland makes sense because he just wasn’t reliable. Harden is reliable in the regular season, but he also famously struggles in the playoffs, he’s 10 years older, and he introduces a new super ball-dominant player into the mix. Maybe Cleveland isn’t done yet, but for now I’m not loving it.
Grade: C+
Clippers grade for Darius Garland trade
Garland is a two-time All-Star who beat the allegations that small guards can’t succeed in the modern NBA … at least until he started getting injured all the time. At his best, Garland offers a fantastic blend of speed, playmaking, and off-the-dribble shooting. He’s just about the smallest very good player in the NBA at 6’1, 190 pounds, and he’s never been known as a good defender.
Garland makes $42 million next season, and then $44.8 million in 2027-28. That’s a ton of money, and now it’s going to eat into the Clippers’ 2027 free agency plan. LA obviously thought Garland was better than anyone they were likely to land in free agency, but it’s still a huge price point if he can’t return to his All-Star form.
Garland made 40 percent of 11.1 three-point attempts per 100 possessions last year. This season that’s down to 36 percent on 9.8 attempts. His finishing has fallen from 65 percent at the rim last year to 60 percent this year. Most damning of all, his net-rating is -8.5 for his on-off swing.
If Garland’s toe can heal, he can give the Clippers a young point guard just entering his prime years who could help steer the franchise out of its Kawhi Leonard era. He just makes a ton of money and hasn’t been the same player this year. His lack of size gives him less room for error. He’s going to need to be super fast and a deadly shooter and playmaker to be effective. His turnover rate being way up this year (from 12 percent to 15 percent) isn’t a good sign, but maybe he’ll be able to take better care of the ball when he’s 100 percent physically.
It would have seemed impossible for the Clippers to get Garland for Harden at the start of this year. Do the Cavs know something the Clippers don’t? For now, I like this move for getting younger. It makes LA worse this year, but I never thought they were going anywhere in the West even with Harden.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 24: Corbin Carroll #7 of the Arizona Diamondbacks avoids an inside pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Chase Field on September 24, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This position is an improvement on the 2025 rankings, in which Carroll finished sixth. He was also fourth going into 2024, coming off his unanimous selection as the NL Rookie of the Year, so this ties a career high in these rankings for Corbin. He came ninth in the network’s recent ranking of the top hundred players across all positions. There, Carroll was behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but Corbin also trailed the Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker in this list.
Here is the full top ten:
Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Juan Soto, New York Mets
Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox
The 16th season of each Top 10 Right Now ranking considers player performance over multiple seasons, offensive and defensive metrics, both advanced Statcast data and traditional numbers, and expert analysis by the MLB Network research team. This might be the end of D-backs getting mentioned. Tomorrow is third basemen, and I suppose it’s just about possible Nolan Arenado could get mentioned, though I would be a little surprised. The other two categories remaining are first base and relief pitchers. Much as I regard Pavin Smith as under-rated (not least by his own fanbase!), I honestly do not expect Arizona to be troubling the list in either department.
Like most young players, Gabe Perreault mostly experienced winning on his way to the NHL, whether it was with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program or at Boston College, where he reached the national title game in 2024.
But since scoring a pair of goals Jan. 14, Perreault has just one assist — and no goals — over his past eight games and the Rangers have fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with losses in seven of those matches.
“It’s definitely a lot of learning,’’ Perreault said after practice Tuesday in Tarrytown. “For me, growing up, I know you can learn the most from failure, in a way. It’s never fun to lose, but you can still grow from it and have this help us win more games.”
The 20-year-old winger, selected by the Rangers No. 23 overall in 2023, is one of several young players stepping into a larger role in the wake of this disastrous stretch that led to general manager Chris Drury issuing another letter to fans and opting not to sign Artemi Panarin to an extension.
New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) handles the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Perreault, who made his NHL debut last season with a five-game cameo with the Rangers, is among those who will be sticking around Broadway, as the team looks to ship Panarin — and likely others — out of town by the March 6 trade deadline.
The Rangers are set to miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons, but Perreault doesn’t want the rest of the year to be a waste.
“You still have to have a positive attitude, whether you’re winning or losing,’’ Perreault said. “It’s the same mindset whether I was in college or the [national] program. You just have to stay with it, day by day.”
So whether it’s Perreault, Noah Laba or any of the other young players looking to forge a path with the Rangers, the stretch run of the regular season will remain valuable.
“You have to take advantage of everything, whether it’s practice or games,’’ Perreault said. “When you’re in the locker room and with the team, you can learn from guys who have played for a while.”
One of the Rangers’ many issues during this horrid stretch has been poor goaltending in the absence of Igor Shesterkin.
Not only do they no longer have Shesterkin — out since Jan. 5 and on injured reserve with a lower-body injury — to mask many of their other issues, they’ve also been forced to play Jonathan Quick more often than they’d like.
Quick turned 40 last month and has struggled with the added playing time, as has his replacement as the backup goalie, Spencer Martin.
The duo has combined to allow at least five goals in two of their past three games — all losses.
Only four goalies who have played as many games as Martin — six — have a worse save percentage than his .864 mark and no one with that many games played has a worse goals-against average than Martin’s 4.13.
“He’s got an opportunity to help us,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said of the 30-year-old on his fifth NHL team. “I think he competes hard in there. I think he’s made some timely saves for us. I think he plays the puck very well [and] adds to our depth at the goaltending position.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 2: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talk after the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors on January 2, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers in their final game before the 2026 NBA trade deadline … which could prove to be a huge day for the Dubs. On paper, the Warriors and the Sixers are two of the most star-stacked teams in the league. In reality, well … those stars are almost all going to be wearing street clothes.
Yep, it’s role players against role players and backups against backups at the Chase Center. Here’s the full injury report for both teams.
Warriors
Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome)
Curry is being described by the Warriors as day-to-day with what is commonly known as “runner’s knee.” Hopefully he doesn’t miss much time. The Warriors, as you probably have noticed, aren’t very good without him.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL tear)
Butler won’t play tonight and he won’t play for many months, but this could potentially be the final Warriors game on his paycheck. It certainly seems like he’ll be with the Dubs through the trade deadline, but I can’t imagine the Warriors will let him be a holdup in their Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuits.
Out — Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise)
It’s much more likely that this is Kuminga’s final game with the organization, even though he won’t be playing, either. Hopefully he’s healthy soon, be it for the Warriors or for someone else.
Out — Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation)
The younger Curry was recently re-evaluated and will be re-evaluated again in two weeks. It’s been a tough season for him, as he’s only appeared in two games.
Out — LJ Cryer (left hamstring injury management)
I always feel bad for two-way players when they’re not healthy for a game where the team is missing a lot of players. It likely would have been a good opportunity for Cryer to get on the court.
Probable — Moses Moody (left knee soreness)
Thankfully it appears that Moody will be able to go tonight, despite dealing with some knee soreness.
76ers
Out — Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management; right knee injury management)
Embiid has quietly put together a wonderful season. He’s been healthier than anticipated — he’s only played 29 games, but that’s 10 more than last year — and, after a slow start, he’s starting to resemble the player that won an MVP not long ago. The Warriors are fortunate to be missing him, but it’s a bummer for fans.
Out — Paul George (league suspension)
Just as the Sixers were starting to click, George went and got a 25-game suspension for an illegal substance. Oops.
Enjoy the game, Dub Nation. It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Dear James Harden, from the night you got traded here it’s been an absolute honor to witness you play on this team. Never sat out any games, never complained, gave it 100%. I appreciate everything you’ve done for this team. Thank You and Good luck in Cleveland GOAT 😭😭🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️❤️1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/5nvRh8VuyL
The Pistons have traded Jaden Ivey to the Chcago Bulls, marking the end of his turbulent yet hopefilled time in Detroit. Wes jumps in the studio to quickly break down what you need to know about the move. What are the details? Why would the Pistons do this? And how might Kevin Huerter fit?
We’ve got you covered for all this and more in this week’s episode!
Want to hear your voice on the Pindown? Call (313) 355-2717 and leave your question as a voicemail! The guys will play your message and answer your question on that week’s episode! All we ask is that you keep your questions to under 45 seconds.
Less than 24 hours after rumors surfaced that the Cavaliers and Clippers were discussing trade possibilities for James Harden, the two sides have reportedly worked out a deal. Harden, whose contract for the 2026-27 season will be partially guaranteed if he opts in, heads back to the Eastern Conference in exchange for Darius Garland and a future second-round pick.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are finalizing a trade to send 11x All-Star James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for 2x All-Star Darius Garland, league sources told myself and @TomerAzarly.
Harden will join his fifth different team in the last six seasons.
Harden pairs up with Donovan Mitchell, giving the Cavaliers another healthy playmaker to help lighten Spida's workload. As for the Clippers, they receive a draft pick and a point guard in Garland, who is ten years younger than Harden. However, he's been dealing with foot injuries for the last two seasons and is currently out with a right big toe injury. Let's take a look at the trade details and how this transaction affects fantasy basketball.
While availability has been an issue for Garland this season, it has not been for Harden. Outside of the last two games, which he missed for personal reasons while his future was being worked out, he only missed three games. In 44 appearances, Harden averaged 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.1 three-pointers in 35.4 minutes, shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 90.1 percent from the foul line. Playing alongside Mitchell may decrease the usage percentages of both players, but not by much.
While there shouldn't be any concerns regarding how this trade affects Mitchell's fantasy value, it's fair for fantasy managers who have Evan Mobley (currently out due to a strained calf), Jarrett Allen and Jaylon Tyson to have questions.
In the past, Harden has developed excellent on-court chemistry with bigs who can roll to the basket and finish above the rim. In the short term, Allen, who scored a career-high 40 points on Sunday, may benefit from being able to run the two-man game with Harden. Mobley's a skilled big man who has the tools to be a highly effective option, but the question is what the spacing will look like when he and Allen are on the floor alongside Harden. Tyson's value may take a hit due to the decreased usage with another healthy playmaker on the floor, but not to the point where managers should consider moving on.
Clippers receive:
Darius Garland
Future second-round pick
Due to a right great toe injury, Garland has not appeared in a game since January 14. And with the guard limited to some individual work during his final practice as a Cavalier on Tuesday, it will likely be a while before we see him in a Clippers uniform. And before the most recent foot injury, Garland's fantasy value languished this season. The potential for him to be a key figure for the Clippers is certainly there, but they need to get Garland healthy first.
In the interim, the Clippers will continue to lean on Kris Dunn at point guard, with Kobe Sanders remaining in the starting lineup. While they take on bigger roles than they did when the Clippers' rotation was whole, neither player is a must-add.
Kawhi Leonard, named an All-Star on Tuesday, will continue to shoulder a heavy workload offensively. His fantasy value is already sky-high. Ivica Zubac had excellent chemistry with Harden, and he'll need to develop something similar with Garland once the point guard gets healthy. If so, the 7-footer's fantasy value should be fine.
With the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick going to Oklahoma City, there's no incentive for the franchise to pull the plug on this season, especially since they're currently in a play-in spot.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller speaks at Michael King's contract press conference at Petco Park on December 19, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The San Diego Padres and president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller have had a relatively quiet offseason. Michael King was re-signed and Sung-Mun Song was added through free agency – those were the “headline moves.” There were pitchers like Kyle Hart, Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta who were added to the major league roster as well, but all the other moves for the Padres have come in the form of minor league contracts.
The offseason started with glaring holes on the San Diego roster. The team lacked starting rotation depth and a first baseman/designated hitter. Those holes are still areas of concern at least among Padres fans, but some clarity was gained after Padres FanFest – kind of.
Manager Craig Stammen said Gavin Sheets is the de facto first baseman as the team prepares for the start of Spring Training. The designated hitter position is potentially going to be used to get regulars like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts off their feet for a day, meaning the team will not have a true DH.
With Preller at the helm, a signing or a move late in the offseason cannot be discounted, but with pitchers and catchers set to report Feb. 12, time is running out to made additions before camp opens. Preller signed Nick Pivetta after the start of Spring Training last year so by no means is the roster set
The later it gets, it seems the “blockbuster trade” we were teased with during the MLB Winter Meetings is not going to happen. Gaslamp Ball asks you, the Friar Faithful, do you expect Preller and the Padres to make a significant trade or signing prior to the Start of Spring Training?
Results of the Padres Reacts Survey will be revealed later in the week.
Raphielle Johnson