Sports
Struggling Magic get to face blowout-prone Nets
Jan 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) controls the ball against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Orlando Magic open a four-game homestand Thursday against the reeling Brooklyn Nets looking to right the ship after losing six of their last eight games.
The Magic are one game above .500 and sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference, yet they’ve been losing ground to the Philadelphia 76ers for the sixth and final playoff spot in the East.
“It’ll be great to be back home for four games, it’s very important for us going into the (All-Star) break, but we have to take it one game at a time,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said after his team’s 36-point loss Tuesday at Oklahoma City.
“It’s hard to win in this league. We have to understand that and the work we need to put in.”
The Magic also need leading scorer Franz Wagner (22.2 ppg) to get healthy as he has missed the last seven games with an ankle injury. It’s his second big chunk of missed time this season — and Orlando has gone 15-11 with him and 10-13 without.
At the same time, Orlando had just 14 points in the first quarter against the Thunder on the way to trailing by as much as 41. Mosley said Wagner’s return, whenever it might be, won’t fix all of Orlando’s problems.
“We still have to wait for him to come back, I don’t think any one person solves any of this,” Mosley said. “We work together as a group, you win as a group and lose as a group. We’re all involved in this. We have to maintain our ability to work on the right things, but it starts with our mental preparation. When the horn starts, we gotta be ready to go.”
Brooklyn has not looked ready for anything lately. The Nets have lost nine of their last 10 games and own a 3-16 mark since Jan. 1.
When the Nets hosted the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, they trailed by 22 points after the first quarter. This came after a 53-point loss to Detroit on Sunday.
“Yeah, more of the same. We got to figure something out,” Nic Claxton told The New York Post. “Like, this is not basketball. We’re supposed to be NBA basketball players. We shouldn’t be getting beat by this much. We shouldn’t get down by this much.”
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez looked for a silver lining, saying his team was competitive in the second half.
“You start off losing the game by 22 points and lose by 16, right? That’s a little bit of the story of the game,” Fernandez said. “I thought we competed at a higher level closing the second quarter and second half. I like our composure and not quitting. We saw some positive things, but obviously the first quarter is unacceptable.”
The game tips off four hours after Thursday’s trade deadline. One of the league’s biggest trading chips is Brooklyn standout Michael Porter Jr., who ranks among the NBA’s top 15 scorers (25.5 ppg) and has scored 36, 38 and 21 points in his last three games.
Porter Jr. in the final season of his contract at $40 million this season and will be eligible for an extension in July. Brooklyn must decide whether to keep Porter and build around him or flip him for draft capital.
Paolo Banchero leads the Magic’s healthy players with 21.6 points per game. Desmond Bane had been on a heater (23, 32, and 25 points in a three-game stretch) before being held to seven by the Thunder. Bane leads the NBA with his 93.6% free-throw accuracy.
Orlando will be going for a season sweep after beating Brooklyn 105-98 on Nov. 14 and 104-103 in overtime on Jan. 7.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: 76ers trade veteran G Eric Gordon to Grizzlies
Feb 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Gordon (23) controls the ball against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers traded veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday for a 2032 second-round draft pick swap in 2032, multiple outlets reported.
The Sixers also land the rights to Justinian Jessup, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Jessup, who is playing for Bayern Munich in Germany, was a second-round draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 2020, with his rights traded to the Grizzlies in July 2025.
Gordon, 37, was scoring 5.5 points in six games off the bench for the Sixers this season. In 18 career NBA seasons, including seven with the Houston Rockets, Gordon has averaged 15.2 points with 2.7 assists in 931 games (665 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
After near-upset last month, No. 2 Michigan locked on Penn State
Jan 6, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) drives the ball to the basket during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images No. 2 Michigan rightfully has been basking in the glow of a terrific week.
The Wolverines beat a pair of Top 10 teams last week – recording a 3-point home win over then-No. 5 Nebraska on Jan. 27 before going to archrival Michigan State’s floor and claiming a 12-point win over the then-No. 7 Spartans last Friday. The latter victory made Michigan head coach Dusty May an even more popular figure among Michigan faithful.
It also propelled Michigan (20-1, 10-1 Big Ten) to the top of the league standings with Illinois, a position it will attempt to maintain on Thursday when the Wolverines host Penn State in Ann Arbor, Mich.
While the game appears to be a mismatch on paper, so did the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 6 in State College, Pa. Yet the Nittany Lions rallied from an eight-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to make it a one-point game in the final minute before Michigan prevailed 74-72.
“We’ve got a Penn State team that gave us everything and then some,” May said. “We’re focused on that game.”
While May is locked on Penn State, the Michigan fanbase gets to enjoy the big-picture excitement enhanced by Friday’s win over Michigan State.
With fewer than six weeks to go until Selection Sunday, Michigan finds itself on everyone’s short list of national championship contenders thanks largely to the four NBA prospects who transferred in during the offseason: Yaxel Lendeborg (team-leading 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game), Morez Johnson Jr. (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Aday Mara (10.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.6 blocks per game) and Elliot Cadeau (10.4 ppg, 5.3 assists per game).
“I love our guys last year, but we just didn’t have enough dog,” May said. “So we were able to solve that issue in recruiting. We were close. We just didn’t have enough. I think our staff did a great job of being intentional about fixing the things that needed to be fixed instead of just hoping that things change or go away.”
Penn State also comes in feeling good about itself, having snapped an eight-game losing streak on Sunday with a 77-75 home win over Minnesota.
The Nittany Lions (10-12, 1-10) will be at a size disadvantage against Michigan’s massive frontline but will try and give the Wolverines problems with the smaller, quicker lineup that trapped and pressed Minnesota effectively.
“If we play on our heels, we’re going to lose,” Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades said. “If we’re going to play little and don’t be aggressive and hawk the ball, we’re probably going to lose. It’s not rolling the dice. It’s how I always want to play anyway.”
Penn State has three players averaging double figures: Kayden Mingo (14.1 ppg, 4.7 apg), Freddie Dilione V (13.9 ppg) and Josh Reed (10.0 ppg). Mingo, who leads the Big Ten with 2.1 steals per game, did not play in the teams’ first meeting.
Penn State has lost the last three games it has played in Ann Arbor. The last time Penn State won at Michigan was a 72-63 triumph on Jan. 22, 2020.
The only road game Penn State has won this year came on Nov. 8 at New Haven, which is in the Northeast Conference.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland to vacate role on staff
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland announced Wednesday that he will vacate his longtime role as new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion arrives.
“Philadelphia, I’ve decided my time coaching with the Eagles has come to an end,” Stoutland posted to X. “When I arrived here in 2013, I did not know what I was signing up for. I quickly learned what this city demands. But more importantly, what it gives back.
“The past 13 years have been the great privilege of my coaching career. I didn’t just work here, I became one of you. Stout out.”
Stoutland, 63, was exclusively a college coach before joining the Eagles’ staff in 2013 after serving as the offensive line coach at Alabama. Philadelphia went to the playoffs eight times during his run with the team and won two Super Bowls.
According to NFL Network, Stoutland will not completely sever ties with the organization, although no future role was specified.
–Field Level Media
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