New Jersey At Ottawa: Devils May Be Without Both Of Their Top Two Centres
Saturday night’s matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the visiting New Jersey Devils is a game that neither team can afford to lose.
New Jersey enters the game nine points back of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, while the Senators sit 10 points out. It’s not where either club expected to be on the final day of January, and Saturday's loser will almost lose sight of the playoff leaders completely.
Ottawa comes in riding momentum after two of its most complete performances of the season, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche by a combined score of 12–3.
Linus Ullmark was the backup goalie, so he wasn't a direct factor in either win. But the team was pleased to see him return from his month-long personal leave of absence. Six days after returning to the lineup, Ullmark is expected to play his first game since December 27, when he was pulled during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Senators will also welcome back forward Stephen Halliday after he missed Wednesday’s win over Colorado with an upper-body injury. Halliday was in the midst of his strongest NHL performance to date last Sunday against Vegas, recording two goals and an assist, before suffering the injury. To make room for Halliday’s return, Ottawa has reassigned Xavier Bourgault to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
Ridly Greig, who missed Friday’s practice, is expected to be available for Saturday’s game.
Senators projected lineup (Subject to change)
Drake Batherson — Tim Stützle — Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk — Dylan Cozens — Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Stephen Halliday — Lars Eller — Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven — Nick Jensen
Linus Ullmark
James Reimer
Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo Injured: David Perron (sports hernia)
Status report
While the Senators are close to full health, the Devils may be without at least one, and possibly both, of their top two centres. Jack Hughes will miss the game with a lower-body injury, though head coach Sheldon Keefe described the issue as “not serious.”
Fellow centre Nico Hischier is under the weather and will be a game-time decision. Forward Cody Glass is expected to return after missing Thursday’s game against Nashville.
Devils projected lineup (Subject to change)
Timo Meier — Dawson Mercer — Jesper Bratt
Lenni Hämeenaho — Cody Glass — Arseny Gritsyuk
Evgenii Dadonov — Paul Cotter — Conor Brown
Maxim Tsyplakov — Luke Glendening — Juho Lammikko
Brett Pesce — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Simon Nemec
onas Siegenthaler — Jonathan Kovacevic
Jake Allen
Jacob Markstrom
Scratched: Colton White Injured: Luke Hughes (shoulder), Zack MacEwen (ACL), Stefan Noesen (knee), Jack Hughes (lower body), Nico Hischier (illness)
Kraken Rookie To Miss Final Three Games Before Olympic Break
Seattle Kraken rookie Berkly Catton will miss the final three games before the Olympic break.
The 20-year-old was on the receiving end of a head-to-hip collision on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left the game after skating in just 3:12 of ice time.
Earlier today, via the Kraken’s PR on X, the team announced that he will miss the final three games with what has been deemed an upper-body injury. The Kraken have not clarified whether the injury he sustained was to the head or neck.
Either way, Catton won’t see game action until at least Feb. 25 when the Kraken return from the break to take on the Dallas Stars.
The former 2024 eighth overall pick has notched five goals and 11 points in 40 games this season.
The Kraken have three vital games before the Olympics begin. The Kraken will be on the road for all three games, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight before important playoff seeding battles against the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings.
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Texas rallies from 14-point deficit in 1st half, beats Oklahoma 79-69 behind Swain's double-double
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dailyn Swain scored 18 points to go 10 rebounds and six assists, and Texas overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half to beat Oklahoma 79-69 on Saturday.
Texas trailed 23-9 with 9:38 to play before the break but closed on a 10-2 surge to tie it 30-all. Xzayvier Brown made a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Sooners a 33-30 halftime advantage.
Oklahoma pushed its lead to 61-55 on another Brown 3-pointer with 8:37 left in the game. About three minutes later, Simeon Wilcher hit a 3 and Jordan Pope made two more from distance in a 9-3 surge that gave Texas a 73-67 lead with 3:25 remaining.
Nijel Pack then missed a 3 on each of the Sooners' next two possessions. Swain's jumper with 1:32 left made it 75-67 and the Longhorns sealed it at the free-throw line.
Texas (13-9, 4-5 Southeastern Conference) has won nine of the last 10 games in the series including seven straight in Norman.
Matas Vokietaitis scored 14 points and Camden Heide added 13 for the Longhorns. Pope chipped in with 12 points and Wilcher finished with 10.
Pack made three 3-pointers and scored 23 points on 9-of-22 shooting to lead Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8). Brown and Derrion Reid each added 15 points.
Up nextTexas: hosts South Carolina on Tuesday.
Oklahoma: at Kentucky on Wednesday.
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Byfield's OT Snipe Lifts Kings Past Flyers, 3-2
After an ugly loss to the Sabres, the Kings (23-17-13) bounced back with a hard-fought road performance with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers (24-20-10) on Saturday, with a clutch winner from Quinton Byfield.
Critical Call Dooms Kings To 4-1 Loss Against The Buffalo SabresOne overturned call was the deciding factor in tonight's game, as the Kings were left chasing a 4- 1 loss to the Sabres. After building an early two-goal cushion in the first period, the Kings held on despite a Flyers push before sealing the game in an extra period.
TWO POINTS pic.twitter.com/GJIi5McAPu
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 31, 2026
Kempe Strikes Twice In Opening Period
The Kings came out flying, establishing offensive pressure early and capitlzing on the Flyers early mistakes. Adrian Kempe opened the scoring midway through the first period, finishing off the nice feed from Alex Laferriere and Corey Perry, giving LA the early 1-0 lead.
Just over three minutes later, Kempe struck again, this time off a setup from Perry, burying the quick-release shot from the slot. The Kings dominated possession in the early frame, outshooting the Flyers and keeping Philadelphia from generating offensive pressure.
Darcy Kuemper was sharp in the early frame, turning aside several shots as the Kings took a 2-0 lead into the second period.
FEELING EXTRA JUICY TODAY pic.twitter.com/2ieOnVuiDG
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 31, 2026
Flyers respond with Second-Period Push
Philadelphia came out with urgency in the second and cut the deficit just 39 seconds into the frame. Trevor Zegras finished off a crisp passing sequence, beating off Kuemper to make it 2-1 and swing momentum toward the home side.
The Flyers controlled long stretches of the period, generating pressure off the forecheck and forcing the Kings into extended defensive zone shifts.
Despite scoring early in the period, the Flyers had only one goal in the second, and Los Angeles entered the third ahead by one, but the momentum had clearly shifted.
Flyers tie it
Early in the third, Philadelphia capitalized on a Los Angeles turnover and tied the game 2-2. Travis Konecny snapped a shot past Kuemper just 25 seconds into the period, bringing the Wells Fargo Center crowd to life and setting the stage for a tense finish.
From then on, both teams traded chances in a fast, physical third period, generating quality looks, but the Flyers' goaltender, Dan Vladar, anchored down in the crease, and neither team could score.
Byfield Delivers in Overtime
Overtime featured end-to-end action, with both teams looking to steal this game. Philadelphia nearly ended it when Konecny rang a shot off the post, but the Kings survived and countered.
Byfield finished with the overtime winner, skating on the right side off the ice to beat off the Flyers' goaltender and score the dagger to escape with a much-needed win to get Los Angeles back in the win column.
"I was thinking shot all the way."
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 31, 2026
Good mindset from QB in that situation as he buried the game-winner.
Jim Hiller pointed to seeing that mentality more of late & the quality in his shot when he rips it.
"Just really good shots. Nice finish, nice goal. Shoot the puck, kid!" https://t.co/0Ka3i0HruG
Key player stats
Adrian Kempe led the way with two goals and three points, continuing his strong stretch and extending his point streak to six games. Byfield finished with the overtime winner, while Perry chipped in two assists ina strong playmaking performance.
Kuemper had a solid game, stopping 19 of 21 shots to earn the win. Despite giving up those two goals very early in the second and third periods, he still came up big in the clutch.
Kopitar returned today for the first time since Jan. 5, when he exited the game against the Minnesota Wild with an upper-body injury. In the 11 games, Kopitar missed, Los Angeles went 4-3-3 without him, clearly missing him, and tonight, though, despite coming back and playing 16 minutes on ice, he wasn't much of a factor.
It was definitely some rust shown for Kopitar, finishing with just one shot on goal, and was a -1 on ice, so hopefully he gets back to his regular self at the end of the Kings road trip.
The Kings will look to build on this overtime victory as they are now 3-1 on their six-game road trip and will continue it tomorrow afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes at 12 P.M. PT.
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Slumping Red Wings Buried 5-0 By Avalanche On Home Ice
The Detroit Red Wings discussed the importance of coming out strong against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, who have been the NHL's best team thus far this season.
Instead, the Avalanche broke out of a mini-funk by taking it to the Red Wings on the scoreboard.
The Avalanche defeated the Red Wings by a 5-0 score, tallying twice in each of the first two periods before adding another in the final frame.
Final pic.twitter.com/R3dV5aTAxz
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 31, 2026
The Red Wings have now dropped three straight games after having picked up five of six points during their recent three-game road swing.
As time ticked away in regulation, only a few thousand fans hadn't already gotten a head start on the traffic after watching a downer of a contest, and they let their frustrations be known with some noticeable booing.
Detroit had a chance to take an early 1-0 lead when leading goal-scorer Alex DeBrincat broke in on a two-on-one opportunity, but sailed a shot over the net.
Just minutes later, Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, who is the oldest player in the NHL, rushed down the right wing and roofed a shot past the glove of John Gibson, breaking the ice.
Colorado soon increased their lead at the midway point of the frame after superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon beat Gibson on a screened shot from the slot.
Not long after the second period began, a missed defensive assignment left Ross Colton all alone in front of Gibson, and he scored a slam-dunk–style goal off a feed from behind the net by Brock Nelson, extending Colorado’s lead to 3–0.
MacKinnon scored again later in the period following a turnover in front of Gibson. Left alone at the side of the net, he took a feed from Artturi Lehkonen and had a wide-open goal to fire at, and he made no mistake.
After making 13 saves, Gibson was replaced for the third period by Cam Talbot, who allowed Parker Kelly to bang home his own rebound for Colorado’s fifth goal.
Colorado's MacKenzie Blackwood made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season.
The Red Wings and Avalanche will face one another again on Monday evening, this time at Ball Arena in Denver.
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Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combine for 43 to carry Wisconsin to 92-82 win over Ohio State
MADISON. Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's high-scoring backcourt of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for 43 points, Austin Rapp hit five first-half 3-pointers, and Wisconsin beat Ohio State 92-82 on Saturday.
Blackwell and Boyd, who have combined for over 38 points per game, finished with 22 and 21, respectively, the sixth time they have both been over 20 points. The 6-foot-10 Rapp, the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year at Portland last season, scored all 19 of his points off the bench in the first half. Nolan Winter finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Aleksas Bieliauskas added 10 points for Wisconsin (16-6, 7-3 Big Ten).
Ohio State's own dynamic duo, Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr., averaging over 35 ppg, finished with 18 and nine, respectively. Amare Bynum scored 18 points for the Buckeyes (14-7, 6-5), while Devin Royal added 17 and Taison Chatman 14.
Wisconsin made only two of its first 11 attempts while falling behind 15-4, but Rapp hit three consecutive 3s in bringing back the Badgers to their first lead, 24-23, with eight minutes in the first half. Rapp added two more 3s, and a late run put Wisconsin up 49-43 at the break.
The Buckeyes led throughout the second half with Boyd and Blackwell scoring 11 points apiece. Boyd's bucket with 2:41 to go gave Wisconsin its largest lead at 16.
Wisconsin shot 52%, made 19 of 21 at the line and outscored Ohio State 42-30 in the paint.
Up nextOhio State is at Maryland on Thursday.
Wisconsin is at Indiana next Saturday.
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Recap: Blackwood gets a shutout in 5-0 win over Detroit
After losing their last two losses against the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, the Colorado Avalanche got back in the win column against the Detroit Red Wings today, by a final score of 5-0. Mackenzie Blackwood earned a 28-save shutout and Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals to put him at 40 on the season.
Let’s take a look at the action from this afternoon!
First Period
The Avs would score first, and they would be the only team to score in this game, for that matter. Brent Burns would be the one to get the scoring going, as Nathan MacKinnon would find him with a great pass as Burns went flying into the zone down the wing, and Burns picked his spot against John Gibson, making it 1-0.
After that, Colorado wouldn’t slow down for the rest of the game, as MacKinnon would get his first goal of the afternoon, by putting a puck on net from the top of the zone, and Gibson was never able to pick it up through traffic.
Second Period
Ross Colton would score his second goal in as many games next, as Brock Nelson was able to find him all alone in front of the Detroit net with a phenomal pass to set Colton up for a tap-in goal.
MacKinnon would score his second of the afternoon next, as Detroit would turn the puck over in their own zone to Artturi Lehkonen, and Lehkonen found MacKinnon with a great pass, and MacKinnon put a one-timer past Gibson for his 40th on the season and to make it 4-0 Colorado after two periods.
Third Period
Parker Kelly would add another goal in the third period to make it 5-0, as he was able to walk down right in front of the Detroit net, and had the patience to outwait Gibson, and score his 12th goal of the year. The Avs only needed 21 shots on goal to earn a 5-0 win in Detroit.
Takeaways
Safe to say that looked more like Colorado Avalanche hockey, especially when compared to the last two games against the Senators and Canadiens. The Avs definitely had more jump today, and it certainly showed in the final score. It was really nice to see players from all over the lineup contribute, as both your top players and depth guys managed to get on the scoresheet this afternoon. It was also awesome to see Ross Colton score a goal for the second game in a row, especially with how much he’s struggled to score as of late. Colorado will get to see Detroit once again in a couple of days, and the Red Wings likely will want some revenge for being shut out in their home arena. Hopefully, the Avs can withstand that and sweep the regular-season series against Detroit on Monday.
Upcoming
The Red Wings visit Denver on Monday for the conclusion of the home-and-home as well as the regular-season series between the Avs and Wings. Puck drop will be at 7:00 p.m. MT.
Matvei Michkov Plays Season-Low 10 Minutes in Loss to Kings
The Philadelphia Flyers still do not appear to have a clear or cohesive plan when it comes to utilizing Matvei Michkov and harnessing his talents.
Michkov, 21, has seen his sporadic offensive production come in spurts this season. The Russian phenom scored against Boston on Thursday night and racked up two goals and an assist against Colorado on Jan. 23, but for all his skills, still sits at 28 points on the season.
In Thursday's game against Boston, one where the Flyers trailed for all but the first 9:49, Michkov received just 12:49 of ice time--the least of any Flyers player besides Nick Deslauriers (12:12).
In the Flyers' very next game against Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, Michkov played a season-low 10:21, still ahead of only Deslauriers (10:21) and Garnet Hathaway (9:02).
To spell it out, the Flyers are using their 2023 No. 7 overall draft pick like a fourth-liner and continue to pay the price offensively.
With Trevor Zegras going cold for much of the last month, Travis Konecny has been the sole consistent proprietor of offense for a team spinning its wheels and tumbling out of the playoff picture.
The Flyers are just 2-6-2 in their last 10 games and now find themselves seven points back of third in the Metropolitan Division and nine points back of the second wildcard spot; either of which would get them to the postseason.
NHL Rumors: Flyers Have Target To Consider In Canucks ForwardThe Flyers could use another bottom-six center and should consider targeting this Canucks forward because of it. The reality is that the Flyers are 21st in the NHL in goals per game (2.91) and 22nd in goals against per game (3.2).
Benching Michkov or limiting his ice time to play a more responsible and detailed game isn't working for the team or player, and we're about to be in February, here.
An argument can be made as to whether the Flyers coaches are having Michkov return to the bench early, or if the 21-year-old is doing that on his own accord, since the shift totals are generally not too far off from those of his teammates who double as penalty killers.
Either way, isn't that bad? That the coaching staff either wants Michkov to keep his shifts short, or Michkov himself is either actively avoiding the possibility of making a mistake or doesn't feel he can make a difference?
The state of Michkov's athletic conditioning has been a point of contention, well, training camp, but as I said above, it's about to be February. He's not a fast skater anyway, and his entire game is built on making dexterous plays in small areas or in open space.
Bailey: The Flyers Still Have No IdentityThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> went from rebuilder to playoff dark horse... or so they thought, and now the team and its loyal but increasingly impatient fans are paying the price.
It would be hard to believe that his conditioning is so poor that his average 5-on-5 shift length against Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon was 31 seconds, according to Natural Stat Trick, which was comfortably lower than virtually every other Flyers forward.
Sean Couturier, who is not a world-renowned skater, averaged a 47-second shift at 5-on-5, second only to Travis Konecny's 48-second average.
Regardless of which of the three points above is the most accurate or believable, Michkov has objectively regressed in a season where the Flyers had much greater aspirations, both on a player development level and on the team level.
The best use of the remaining three months of the season would be remedying the worsening issues at hand while developing a plan to start over in the offseason.
Caleb Wilson dominates in return to hometown, leads No. 16 North Carolina past Georgia Tech 91-75
ATLANTA (AP) — Caleb Wilson dominated in the return to his hometown, scoring 22 points as No. 16 North Carolina cruised past Georgia Tech for a 91-75 victory on Saturday.
The 6-foot-10 Atlanta native set a school record by scoring 20 points for the 15th time as a freshman. He had been tied with Tyler Hansbrough, who had 14 games with 20 points for the Tar Heels in 2005-06.
Wilson set another school record by reaching double-figure points in the first 21 games of his college career. He broke a tie with Rashad McCants, who had at least 10 points in his first 20 games in 2002-03.
With a light snow falling outside McCamish Pavilion, Henri Veesaar gave North Carolina (17-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) a devastating 1-2 punch on the inside with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Tar Heels won their third in a row, with Wilson adding three more dunks to what was already his nation-leading total of 62.
The game got away from Georgia Tech (11-11, 2-7) in the latter stages of the first half. Wilson had a pair of thunderous slams as well as converting a three-point play, pushing North Carolina to a 52-37 lead at the break.
The Tar Heels led by as many as 21 in the second half, handing the Yellow Jackets their third straight loss and sixth setback in the last seven games as they head toward another disappointing season under third-year coach Damon Stoudamire.
Baye Ndongo led the home team with 27 points, but the rest of the team combined to make only 18 of 48 shots with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, a Georgia Tech graduate, watching the game from a courtside seat wearing a “GT" cap.
Up nextNorth Carolina: Hosts Syracuse on Tuesday night to begin a big week. The Tar Heels are home against No. 4 Duke next Saturday.
Georgia Tech: Travels to California on Wednesday for the first of two straight West Coast games.
___
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Draymond Green isn’t worried about the trade deadline
With the February 5th trade deadline fast-approaching, NBA players around the league are waiting with bated breath to find out if they’ll be sent somewhere new at the end of the week.
Warriors veteran big man Draymond Green is not one of them.
I’ve been here for 14 years,“ Green said to ESPN’s Anthony Slater this morning. ”I have no reason to sit and worry about leaving. But if I’m traded, that’s part of the business.”
As the Warriors might be seeking to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, there may be reason for some Warriors players to worry about being traded. Green, a cornerstone of the Warriors for the past 14 years, may possibly be on the chopping block for the first time in his career.
Green, 35, is averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season. He’s a big man, sure, but he’s a small big man, and Giannis is a better and younger player in comparison.
“I ain’t losing no sleep though,” Green said. “I slept great last night.”
West Indies beat South Africa in rain-hit T20 shootout
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The West Indies got a consolation win off South Africa after rain reduced their Twenty20 match to a shootout at the Wanderers on Saturday.
South Africa won the series 2-1 and the West Indies won the last match by six runs on the DLS method in a thrilling finish.
Rain delayed the start of the match for nearly two hours and reduced it to 16 overs per side. The West Indies was 66-1 after six overs when an hour-long rain delay reduced the game to 10 overs per side.
West Indies reached 114-3. Captain Shai Hope hit 48 runs off 25 balls and Shimron Hetmyer 48 not out off 22. They hit 10 sixes between them. One by Hetmyer hit a spectator in the head while he was lying on his back. The man quickly stood up and clapped.
South Africa's target was 125 and it fell short at 118-6.
Quinton de Kock took 18 off the first over but captain Aiden Markram was caught off a top-edged pull in the second.
De Kock went for 28 off 14, Ryan Rickelton hit straight to long-on on 15 and Dewald Brevis went two balls later on 17 as spinner Gudakesh Motie took their wickets in eight balls.
Jason Smith hit 20 runs in the eighth over and South Africa arrived at the final over needing 16 runs to win. It was down to nine when Smith was bowled by a Shamar Joseph yorker with two balls left.
South Africa received good news before the game when David Miller was “medically cleared” to play in his sixth T20 World Cup starting next weekend. A groin injury sidelined him from the series with West Indies.
At the World Cup in India, the West Indies will open against Scotland next Saturday in Kolkata. South Africa starts two days later against Canada in Ahmedabad.
Rangers claim Vincent Iorio off waivers to fill expected blue line need
PITTSBURGH — Players with an upside are the top target of this Rangers retooling initiative, and the club made its first pickup via the waiver wire on Saturday.
Defenseman Vincent Iorio is headed to New York after the Blueshirts claimed him off waivers from the Sharks, the team announced.
At 23 years old, Iorio has 30 career NHL games of experience and is thought to have potential as a mobile right-handed blueliner.
His 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame also makes him an intriguing addition to the Rangers defense corps.
The waiver claim comes less than a week after defenseman Carson Soucy was dealt to the Islanders.
In anticipation of more trades before the March 6 trade deadline, which could include the departure of another member of the back end in Braden Schneider, the Rangers filled an expected need.
Drafted 55th overall by the Capitals in 2021, Iorio registered a career high and skated in 21 games for the Sharks this season.
He only appeared in nine contests over two seasons for the Capitals before the organization waived him in October.
During the 2024-25 AHL season, Iorio’s 20 points in 67 games with the San Jose Barracuda ranked third among his fellow D-men.
Nwoko's 21 helps LSU survive South Carolina 92-87
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Mike Nwoko scored 21 points as LSU outlasted South Carolina 92-87 in overtime on Saturday.
LSU (14-8, 2-7 Southeastern Conference) outscored the Gamecocks 14-9 in overtime and went 21 of 25 from the free-throw line. Rashad King finished with 18 points for LSU, while Marquel Sutton added 16 points and eight rebounds. Max Mackinnon scored 15 points and recorded a season-high eight assists.
The Tigers struck first after going into halftime up one, but South Carolina answered with a surge midway through the second half. Elijah Strong and Eli Ellis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Gamecocks a 56-52 lead, and South Carolina later built a five-point cushion with just over eight minutes remaining.
LSU responded with King converting a driving layup with 5:54 left and drilling a go-ahead 3-pointer 40 seconds later. After several late lead changes, Nwoko tied the game at 78 with a layup at the 1:39 mark, and neither team scored again before the horn.
LSU took control in overtime at the free-throw line. King and Pablo Tamba combined to go 8 of 8 from the stripe in the extra period, and Mackinnon sealed it with a 23-foot 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining.
Meechie Johnson led South Carolina with 21 points and six assists. Kobe Knox scored 15 points, and Ellis added 14 off the bench.
Up NextLSU hosts Georgia next Saturday.
South Carolina travels to Texas on Tuesday.
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50 Years on: Could Nets honor the ABA and Dr. J at Lottery
The Nets won the ABA’s final game. Then they were forced to sell the best player in the world just to survive. Yeah, that qualifies as a justification for a curse.
The Nets and Nuggets were the last two teams to play an ABA game: May 13, 1976.
It’s the 50-year anniversary for the final ABA season and the final championship won by the then New York, then New Jersey, then Brooklyn Nets. .
There are four ABA teams that are still in the NBA: Nuggets, Nets, Pacers, and Spurs, the survivors of a league that once reached 12. The Nets are the outlier in that they’re the only team that has not won a championship since the merger in 1976. You’d think a 50th anniversary would be mentioned this year, in some form. It hasn’t happened.
Perhaps it’s uncelebrated for several reasons.
The 50-year anniversary of the merger is less a celebration than a blemished milestone. The NBA didn’t inherit the ABA… it sort of replaced it. The league kept the stars and the style, but erased the branding, records, and much of the acknowledgment that another league helped build the modern game.
“The ABA still lives within the NBA, no question about it,” Erving said in 2016.
Honoring the ABA means revisiting uncomfortable math. Four teams were allowed in. Two were paid to essentially disappear (Kentucky Colonels & Spirits of St. Louis). The Spirits, owned by Ozzie and Daniel Silna, negotiated a television deal so lucrative that until a decade ago it still made airwaves in today’s NBA TV rights.
They got $2.2 million upfront plus a one-seventh share of television revenue from each ABA team that joined the NBA… forever. As NBA broadcasts exploded in the ’80s and ’90s, that tiny share became massive. The Silnas collected tens of millions a year for decades, eventually totaling hundreds of millions before a 2014 settlement capped it. Forbes called it the “greatest sports deal of all-time.”
Others got rich but ABA contracts got voided or renegotiated. Players had minimal benefits. ABA stats weren’t fully integrated into NBA history, thus the Nets championships technically aren’t even recognized as official.
And one… the Nets
Half a century after joining the NBA, the merger’s costs still cast a shadow over the Nets’ legacy, and Dr. J’s presence looms large.
The New York Nets faced the opposite problem to the Spirits of St. Louis. The Nets were forced to pay the standard $3.2 million expansion fee plus $4.5 million to the New York Knicks for territorial rights. It may not seem onerous now but it was a big deal back then for the Nets owners whose primary asset was not the Nets, but the NHL’s Islanders both of whom played at Nassau Coliseum.
Under the NBA merger rules, each team controlled a 75-mile radius around its arena. No other franchise could relocate, play, or market in that zone without permission, and teams could demand compensation if a newcomer entered their territory. Nassau Coliseum fell squarely inside the Knicks’ protected zone.
Roy Boe, owners of the Nets, paid the $7.7 million in fees (roughly $37-40M today) before salaries, operations, or retaining Julius Erving. The Knicks’ refusal to waive the territorial fee forced the Nets to make the only viable move: sell Erving, native of Roosevelt, Long Island, twisting the knife even further. (Oh yes, the Knicks also refused to accept Dr. J as compensation. They wanted the cash.)
Owner Roy Boe sold Dr. J to the Sixers but it might’ve bought the team a curse. “It killed me to have to think about doing it,” he said in 2002.
Basketball’s sweethearts with Dr. J at the forefront of it all, in the red, white, blue jerseys with the stars on the side. An afro as vibrant and in-your-face as the league. The Boes were simply forced to demolish the culture, the legend.
“There will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Nets, having played on two ABA championship teams for the franchise.” Erving has said.
But Dr. J didn’t necessarily want it to end.
Erving and his agent knew his value. When Boe told him the team couldn’t meet his salary demands, Erving refused to play under those conditions, holding out of camp until a resolution could be found.
In the years that followed, his Philadelphia teams became a perennial contender. The Nets fell into instability, missed the playoffs repeatedly, and Roy Boe sold the team in 1978. He also dealt the Isles and they immediately went on to dominate the NHL with four straight Stanley Cup titles,
Since then…
Relocations:
- In 1977, the Nets moved back to New Jersey.
- They played at the Rutgers Athletic Center and later the Meadowlands for roughly 30 years.
- In 2012, they relocated to Brooklyn, moving into the Barclays Center and rebranding as the Brooklyn Nets.
History:
- The Nets reached their first NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 but fell short both times.
- Since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the team has made it past the first round of the playoffs twice.
- 42.4 win percentage (1,692 wins & 2,303 losses).
Roy Boe purchased the team for $1.1 million in 1969. In 1978, the NYT estimated the Nets valuation at $10 million, but the price of the sale was never made public. The group that purchased the Nets was led by Alan N. Cohen, former Chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, the parent company of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, the Nets’ primary territorial rivals.
As far as it goes for 54-point losses on MSG hardwood or Nets franchise players demanding trades to the Knicks — there’s a reason why it stings extra for the little brother. By no mistake.
Now, 50 years later, Erving returned to the spotlight specifically for Vince Carter’s jersey retirement. Anniversaries tend to spotlight triumph but this one isn’t. The ABA’s influence is everywhere in today’s NBA, but the cost of getting here doesn’t fit neatly into a highlight reel.
The Nets defeated the Nuggets and claimed basketball glory in 1976. Since then, the franchise has moved, rebranded, and struggled, never fully escaping the consequences of the merger.
The Nuggets now boast the best player in the world, Nikola Jokić, and it’s hard not to see the irony. The Nets once had the best player in the world too — and the merger forced them to give him up. Then sold to the rivals.
The franchise hasn’t erased their history completely, but there’s an opportunity to honor it. Just as Dr. J returned for Vince Carter’s retirement, could he also return to the Nets again. Just this week, the NBA finally announced the day for the NBA Lottery: May 10, just three days before the actual anniversary. It would an ideal way to honor the 1976 team, Erving and can conduct a worthy science experiment: if karma can move ping pong balls.
It’ll be expensive to arrange, difficult too with NBA but the price might be worth paying.