NBA News

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. scored 24 of his career-high 31 points in the second half to lead No. 20 Arkansas to an 85-81 victory over LSU on Saturday. Acuff shot 10 for 11 from the field in the final 20 minutes, making all three of his 3-pointers. Fellow freshman Meleek Thomas joined him in double figures for …

DALLAS (AP) — Jaron Pierre Jr. had 28 points to help SMU hold off Florida State 83-80 on Saturday. Lajae Jones buried a 3-pointer to give Florida State a 72-69 lead with four minutes remaining. Pierre had baskets on both ends of a three-point play by B.J. Edwards in a 7-0 run and SMU stayed in front from there. Edwards …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored 24 points, including 22 in Auburn’s dominant and stunning first half, and the Tigers upset No. 16 Florida 76-67 on Saturday for the program’s first win in Gainesville since 1996. Auburn used 7-0, 8-0 and 12-0 runs en route to a 15-point halftime lead in a matchup of 2025 Final Four teams, building …

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 19 points, reserve Arianna Roberson had 19 points in a double-double and No. 21 Duke overwhelmed Pittsburgh 95-41 on Saturday for the Blue Devils’ 11th straight win. Roberson, a freshman, was 9-of-15 shooting and matched her high of 12 rebounds for her first double-double. Riley Nelson also posted her first double-double with 18 points …

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers, as No. 11 Illinois beat No. 4 Purdue 88-82 on Saturday. Wagler, a freshman guard, shot 13 for 17 overall, 9 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 on free throws. David Mirkovic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (17-3, …

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Mark Mitchell scored 25 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime, as Missouri edged Oklahoma 88-87 on Saturday. Mitchell added 10 rebounds for his fifth career double-double and reached 1,500 career points in the second half for the Tigers (14-6, 4-3 SEC). Trent Pierce hit his only field goal of the game, a 37-foot pull-up 3-pointer …

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Malik Reneau had a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson each added 16 points, and Miami defeated Syracuse 85-76 on Saturday. Reneau picked up his sixth double-double of the season, and was 8-for-12 shooting from the floor and 1 for 2 from beyond the arc. He also dished five assists to tie Donaldson for …

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. The league announced the decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street …

Cameron Boozer scored 32 points to lead fifth-ranked Duke’s dominating interior play that helped the Blue Devils beat Wake Forest 90-69 on Saturday. The star freshman big man made 11 of 20 shots to go with nine rebounds and four assists, controlling large stretches with his scoring and his playmaking ability to passing out of oncoming double teams. Advertisement And …

Luka Doncic is facing the Dallas Mavericks again. It is a poor reflection of the Los Angeles Lakers that this return to Dallas is not getting as much attention. My Lakers vs. Mavericks predictions will still trust Luka. Some anger still lingers. Advertisement Read more in my NBA picks for Saturday, January 24. Lakers vs Mavericks prediction Lakers vs Mavericks …

Giannis Antetokounmpo is hurt again, this time with the Feb. 5 NBA NBA trade deadline in sight. Antetokounmpo said he thinks doctors will tell him something popped in his calf during the Bucks’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, and it will likely keep him out for 4-6 weeks, putting him on the med through the trade deadline. …

Two teams jockeying in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff pack collide for the first of a home-and-home set, as the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Orlando Magic. The Cavs, with wins in four of their last five, still find themselves as one-point underdogs in the NBA odds. These teams have found a way to turn most games into rockfights, …

Two hot teams clash tonight as the Boston Celtics visit the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Nikola Vucevic has been in his bag lately, and my Celtics vs Bulls predictions are eyeing him to score the rock at a high level. Read more in my NBA picks for Saturday, January 24. Celtics …

NEW YORK (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker has been arrested after police say he presented a firearm for inspection without proper credentials at LaGuardia Airport. Port Authority police said Walker was arrested Friday morning after they responded to a request for a firearms check at LaGuardia’s Terminal C. Police said the 25-year-old had checked in at …

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed will take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic after shooting 5-under 67 on Saturday, as Rory McIlroy’s chances of a record-extending fifth title virtually disappeared. Reed, the former Masters champion who now plays on the LIV Golf circuit, tapped in at No. 18 for his seventh …

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An even 400 in Grand Slams and 102 in Australia. Novak Djokovic just keeps setting tennis records. The 24-time major winner became the first player to reach 400 wins in Grand Slam singles when he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Saturday night in the third round of the Australian Open. Advertisement …

Good morning, it’s Saturday, January 24th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 26-20 and play the Orlando Magic on the road tonight at 7 PM. This is Cleveland’s first game of the season against Orlando. They went 2-1 against the Magic last season. They will play each other again on Monday, this time in Cleveland. Advertisement Today’s Game of the Day Los …

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won his second successive toss and elected to bat against England in the second one-day international on Saturday. England top-order batters struggled against Sri Lanka spinners and lost the first game of the three-match series by 19 runs despite Jamie Overton and Rehan Ahmed showing late aggression in the run …

Toronto Raptors (28-19, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-9, first in the Western Conference) Oklahoma City; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City takes on the Toronto Raptors after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 117-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Advertisement The Thunder are 20-4 on their home court. Oklahoma …

Late in the Bucks’ attempted comeback against the Nuggets Friday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled up with what appeared to be a non-contact leg injury. Speaking to reporters postgame, Antetokounmpo said this felt like his previous two calf strains, that he expects the MRI tomorrow will confirm that, and he thinks he will be sidelined 4-6 weeks. If Antetokounmpo is correct …

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo thinks he will be out for an extended period after hurting his right calf again after a similar injury caused him to miss eight games earlier this season. Antetokounmpo had his right calf wrapped in the first half of a 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. He didn’t appear comfortable the …

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have won nine of their last 13 games, and still aren’t close to playing up to their full potential. That’s both encouraging and frustrating. Friday’s ugly 123-118 win against the Sacramento Kings showed why. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has made some crazy comparisons during his two seasons in Cleveland. After Evan Mobley’s 29-point, 13-rebound, and …

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Sacremento Kings 123-118 to grab their fifth win in their last seven games and ninth in their last 13. That’s a step in the right direction. This game was back-and-forth throughout. Advertisement Cleveland created separation at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. They pushed their lead to …

A potentially catastrophic winter storm has caused commotion throughout parts of the country and could affect the NBA regular-season schedule as Southern states prepare for ice conditions, while Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states expect heavy snow. The NBA announced Thursday that the Jan. 24 regular-season matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina was moved …

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Lamar Wilkerson scored 27 points, Nick Dorn added 23, Tucker DeVries had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Indiana routed Rutgers 82-59 on Friday night to end a four-game losing streak. It was Indiana’s first win at Rutgers since Feb. 5, 2018. Advertisement DeVries scored 16 points in the first half, Dorn added 14 …