Sports
Grizzlies, Kings battle as potential deadline moves still loom
Feb 2, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts with forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) after a basket during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Sacramento Kings fans might get one last chance to say goodbye to Domantas Sabonis as the upcoming trade deadline looms over the Memphis Grizzlies’ visit to California’s capital on Wednesday night.
The Kings have lost nine consecutive games and plummeted to the bottom of the NBA standings, sparking numerous trade rumors, including recent speculation on their star center.
Interested teams saw Sabonis round back into starter-worthy shape in the past two weeks, when he returned from a 17-game absence due to a strained left knee to play seven times over the course of 14 days.
Having started three games in a row — and averaging 12.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in those contests — the three-time All-Star was held out of the second night of a back-to-back last Thursday in Boston before missing Sacramento’s trip finale Saturday at Washington with a sore back.
The Kings went 0-6 on the trip, during which rumors intensified of a possible Sabonis trade to Toronto. The in-season deadline is Thursday afternoon.
Sacramento returns home with a new player, having acquired De’Andre Hunter from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.
More moves are anticipated, as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk have all played recently, with their names appearing in various internet reports.
Kings coach Doug Christie looks forward to the day when his guys can be a little more single-minded.
“You’d be remiss to think that those type of things affect you a little bit,” he assured reporters during the trip. “It can bring your energy up or down. And that’s where, as I told them, we have to hold each other and help each other in those moments.”
Surely, the Grizzlies can relate. They have played 12 of their last 14 games without standout point guard Ja Morant, who seemingly is content waiting until after Thursday to see where he’ll be hanging his jersey the rest of the season as he deals with a sore left elbow.
The Grizzlies have received a longer look at their potential point guard of the future over the last two games, with Ty Jerome making his season debut after recovering from a calf injury. The veteran averaged 19.5 points and seven assists in a two-game stretch against the Minnesota Timberwolves, helping Memphis break a six-game losing streak Monday with 19 points and eight assists in just 20 minutes.
With Zach Edey and Santi Aldama also out of action recently, Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo has been glad to see Jerome step right in and aggressively lead the team at its point of attack.
“(He) did all the things that we expected him to do for us this season — create out of the pick and roll, also be a threat off the ball and opening up space for other guys,” Iisalo gushed to reporters after Monday’s 137-128 win. “You need the handler and the screener to have enough creation that they don’t need to rely on team reactions, but they create a two-on-one situation, they create good enough looks. Ty is definitely that guy.”
Both teams will avoid the distraction of having a game on trade-deadline day, with the Grizzlies getting a day off Thursday before continuing a five-game trip in Portland, while the Kings will be awaiting a visit from the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LeBron James scores 25 as Lakers cruise past Nets
Feb 3, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) greets forward LeBron James (23) during a timeout in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LeBron James collected 25 points and seven assists as the Los Angeles Lakers seized control early in the finale of an eight-game road trip and cruised to a 125-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night in New York.
James made 10 of 16 shots, including a pair of thunderous dunks in the first half. He also added three rebounds and had three of the Lakers’ 14 steals.
During his final minutes on the floor, some fans were chanting “We Want Bronny” in hopes of seeing his son, Bronny James, enter the game. The younger James played the final 4:36 and earned loud cheers from the mostly pro-Lakers crowd for a pair of baskets.
Luka Doncic added 24 points on 8 of 18 shooting and sat for the fourth quarter after playing 29 minutes. Doncic also handed out five assists and grabbed six rebounds.
Jake LaRavia contributed 18 points and Austin Reaves chipped in 15 in his return after missing 19 straight games with a sprained left ankle.
The Lakers went 5-3 on the tripA, which was necessitated by the Grammy awards taking over their home arena, and earned their second lopsided victory of the trek.
Los Angeles made its first seven from the field and shot 54.1%. The Lakers also scored 66 points in the paint to offset a 7 of 31 showing from 3-point range.
Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Porter missed all nine 3-point tries and was 7 of 18 overall.
Day’Ron Sharpe finished with 19 points and 14 boards for Brooklyn, which lost for the 17th time in 20 games and only led in the opening two minutes. Ziaire Williams contributed 17 for the Nets, who scored 69 points in the second half to make the final score more respectable.
The Nets shot 47.9% but missed 31 of 41 3-point attempts and allowed 23 points off 20 turnovers
Doncic scored 14 in the first quarter when the Lakers shot 83.3% (15 of 18) and opened a 45-23 lead. Los Angeles took its first 30-point lead when James hit a nine-footer for a 59-29 cushion with 7:53 left, a 36-point lead on Marcus Smart’s short jumper with 5:20 left and held a 69-40 edge by halftime.
Doncic’s stepback 3 extended the lead to 83-44 with 8:08 remaining in the third quarter and the Lakers held an 89-55 lead when James went to the bench with 4:25 left. Los Angeles held a 100-74 advantage through the third and led 111-83 when James checked out for the night with just over eight minutes left.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Otega Oweh, Kentucky on a roll ahead of date with skidding Oklahoma
Jan 31, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Nick Pringle (23) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images Kentucky aims to carry momentum from perhaps its biggest win of the season when it hosts Oklahoma on Wednesday night in Lexington, Ky.
Since starting 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play, the Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 SEC) have won six of their last seven games to vault into the top quarter of the standings. Kentucky, which won at then-No. 15 Arkansas 85-77 last Saturday, has captured 10 of its last 13 contests since stumbling out to a 5-4 start in nonconference play.
“We’re on a journey,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. “And it might not be the journey that anybody anticipated. But I love it. I tell you, I’ve never coached a team like this. To be dead and buried like we were, and then just keep saying, ‘You know what? Doesn’t matter. We’re coming back, man. We’re coming back.'”
Otega Oweh has been playing with a high motor in league play, scoring 20 or more points in seven of the Wildcats’ nine conference games. Those performances have raised his season scoring average by more than two points to a team-leading 16.6 points per game. Oweh has scored in double figures in every game this season.
Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8) has lost eight in a row since winning its SEC opener. Six of those eight losses are by 10 points or fewer, and one was by a single point on an overtime buzzer-beater.
The Sooners fell 79-69 at home against Texas on Saturday, a game they led by 14 points in the first half.
“We have to do everything we can to prepare for each game right now,” Sooners coach Porter Moser said. “But, man, none of us, I’m not accepting. I want to be in a different spot in the standings.”
Nijel Pack (16.3 points per game) and Xzayvier Brown (16.2) are Oklahoma’s leading scorers, with Pack topping the team in shooting 42.8% from 3-point range.
Kentucky and Oklahoma played twice last season, with the Wildcats winning both games by one point. Oweh, who played for the Sooners from 2022-24, hit dramatic game-winners in both victories for the Wildcats, including on March 14 in the SEC tournament.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Johnson's latest triple-double guides Hawks over Heat
Feb 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) and forward Jalen Johnson (1) react against the Miami Heat during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Jalen Johnson posted a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the host Miami Heat 127-115 on Tuesday night.
It was Johnson’s ninth triple-double of the season, second most in the NBA.
The Hawks, who broke a two-game losing streak, also got 26 points off the bench from CJ McCollum.
Atlanta, which led in the fourth quarter by as many as 23 points, is the only team in the league that has a winning record on the road (16-13) and a losing mark at home (9-14).
Miami was led by Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had a team-high 21 points off the bench. Pelle Larsson added 18 points, Bam Adebayo had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Davion Mitchell posted a team-high 10 assists.
The Heat were without Andrew Wiggins due to left hamstring tightness. Wiggins joined two other Heat starters on the sidelines: All-Star Norman Powell (personal reasons) and Tyler Herro (ribs). Powell has missed three consecutive games. Herro has missed 11 straight.
Due to those absences, Miami’s Myron Gardner, an undrafted rookie, made just his second start, and he scored 14 points. Veteran Simone Fontecchio also got a start, his third with Miami, and scored 18 points.
The Hawks continue to play without two key players: Kristaps Porzingis (foot) and Onyeka Okongwu (facial fracture).
Atlanta led 33-23 after a first quarter in which Miami was held to 37% shooting, including 1-for-9 on 3-pointers.
The Hawks stretched their lead to 67-50 at halftime, outshooting Miami 50% to 37.5% in the second quarter. Atlanta also made 7 of 15 3-pointers in that quarter.
Johnson led all first-half scorers with 15 points.
Miami cut its third-quarter deficit to five points, but the Hawks rallied and led 98-81 at the end of the period.
The Heat got as close as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Hawks pulled away for good.
For the game, Atlanta made 21 3-pointers to just eight for Miami. McCollum was 6 for 9 to lead Atlanta’s attack from the arc.
–Field Level Media
LeBron James scores 25 as Lakers cruise past Nets
Otega Oweh, Kentucky on a roll ahead of date with skidding Oklahoma
