Connect with us

Sports

Hawks could gain reinforcements as they prepare for Jazz

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Atlanta HawksDec 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (8) shown before the start of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks may get a lineup boost Thursday, but it isn’t likely to come from a last-minute trade.

The Hawks, who host the Utah Jazz on Thursday, could get veteran Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup. The veteran center, the team’s big offseason acquisition, has missed the last 13 games with left Achilles tendinitis but had his status upgraded to questionable Tuesday and could return for limited minutes.

Porzingis hasn’t played since Jan. 7. He has participated in only 17 of the team’s 52 games because of injuries and management of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an incurable condition that causes increased heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.

Porzingis has played well when in the lineup, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His return would be especially welcome since Onyeka Okongwu is day-to-day after dental surgery following a nasty elbow in the mouth against Boston. The Hawks have been living with Mouhamed Gueye and Christian Koloko at center.

Atlanta ended a two-game losing streak Tuesday with an impressive 127-115 road win against Miami.

Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is coming off his ninth triple-double of the season. Johnson, who was named to the NBA All-Star team, had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Heat.

“Jalen just continues to find, within the rhythm of the game, opportunities to get off the ball to be the open guy, and when he needs to be more aggressive and go to the basket. I just love that he’s not hesitating with the catch-and-shoot threes. I think that gives him space to play. Some of our other guys are getting more connected with him, too.”

Utah ended a six-game skid Tuesday by defeating the Indiana Pacers 131-122. The Jazz had only seven available players, and each scored in double figures. Utah played Tuesday without Keyonte George (ankle), Kevin Love (illness), Walker Kessler (shoulder) and Jusuf Nurkic (illness).

“Games like this are odd, playing with seven people and the lineups we had out there,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “But I thought the team had great energy, great camaraderie.”

Isaiah Collier played all 48 minutes and had a career-high 22 assists in the win, the most in the NBA this season and the most by a Jazz player since John Stockton on Dec. 18, 1992. The last player in the league with 22 assists was Denver’s Nilola Jokic last March 7.

“Isaiah, with 22 assists and only two turnovers, is a testament to him, it’s a testament to his teammates,” Hardy said. “Overall, he showed a lot of poise and maturity as a point guard.”

The game marks a homecoming for Utah rookie Ace Bailey, who grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and was Mr. Georgia Basketball in 2024. He is averaging 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds and scored 19 on Tuesday.

This is the final meeting between the teams this season. The Hawks, who have won three straight against the Jazz, took the first game 132-122 on Nov. 13 in Salt Lake City. Johnson had a triple-double (31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists) and Okongwu had a career-high 32 points with eight 3-pointers.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Dai Dai Ames pours in 29 to carry Cal past Georgia Tech

NCAA Basketball: Georgia Tech at CaliforniaFeb 4, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears center Milos Ilic (8) rebounds in front of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Baye Ndongo (11) during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Dai Dai Ames overcame foul trouble to pour in a season-best 29 points, and Cal overcame a lull early in the second half to outfinish visiting Georgia Tech 90-85 in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game in Berkeley, Calif., on Wednesday night.

Milos Ilic capped an 11-point performance with four clutch free throws. John Camden chipped in with 15 points, Chris Bell 14 and Justin Pippen 13 to complement seven rebounds and a team-high six assists for the Golden Bears (17-6, 5-5 ACC), who won for the fourth time in their last five games.

Baye Ndongo flirted with a triple-double for Georgia Tech (11-12, 2-8) before fouling out with 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Fresh off a road win at Miami (Fla.), Cal led 43-29 at halftime on the strength of eight 3-pointers and went up 46-31 in the first minute of the second period after a deep hoop by Ames before the Yellow Jackets rallied.

Kam Craft dropped in a layup and went outside for a pair of 3-pointers, setting the stage for a Davi Remagen 11-footer that produced a 49-all tie at the 15:12 mark. Georgia Tech was just 2-for-17 from deep in the first half.

Another 3-pointer by Craft had the visitors even at 59-all before Cal held the upper hand over the final 10 minutes.

After back-to-back 3-pointers and a layup by Akai Fleming had pulled Georgia Tech within 80-77 with still 1:10 remaining, the Golden Bears pulled away at the free-throw line, featuring a 4-for-4 run by Ilic.

The Golden Bears finished 28-for-39 at the line, outscoring the visitors by 21 points from the stripe.

Ilic was Cal’s leading rebounder with nine, just missing what would have been his first double-double of the season.

Fleming came off the bench to pace the Yellow Jackets with 19 points, shooting 3-for-6 from deep. Chas Kelley III aided the visitors’ cause with 15 points, while Craft and Jaeden Mustaf had 14 apiece for Georgia Tech, which lost for the seventh time in its last eight outings.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Report: Magic trade veteran Tyus Jones to Hornets

NBA: Orlando Magic at Cleveland CavaliersJan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic guard Tyus Jones (2) brings the ball up court in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic have traded point guard Tyus Jones and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for cash considerations, according to ESPN.

The cash considerations given by the Hornets will help the Magic avoid the luxury tax, who added two second-round picks to the deal for Charlotte to take on Jones’ capital.

The trade now gives Charlotte 11 first-round picks and 14 second-round picks over the next 7 years.

Jones averaged 3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, only starting eight games for Orlando, who acquired him as a free agent on June 30 on a one-year, $7 million deal.

Charlotte, who acquired guard Coby White earlier this morning, adds another veteran to the rotation.

Jones was drafted in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but played his first games for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed a 3-year, $28 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, where he spent another four seasons.

He followed with stints in Washington (2023-24) and Phoenix (2024-25) where he his greatest volume of action, starting 124 games over two seasons. He has just 102 starts over his other nine seasons.

Jones’ best performance for Orlando this season came on Dec. 23 against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he tallied 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Matt Boldy nets hat trick in frenetic first as Wild outlast Predators

NHL: Minnesota Wild at Nashville PredatorsFeb 4, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) blocks the shot of Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Matt Boldy scored a hat trick in the first period and set up Jared Spurgeon’s game-winning goal as the Minnesota Wild pulled off a crazy 6-5 overtime victory against the host Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.

The clock was winding down when Boldy set up Spurgeon with a cross-ice pass to beat Juuse Saros with 46 seconds remaining in OT for the 6-5 final.

Quinn Hughes had two assists, and Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves for the Wild, who have won five in a row heading into the Olympic break.

Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg each had a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly each had three-point nights for the Predators, who defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-5 their last time out. Saros made 38 saves.

Boldy gave Minnesota an early 1-0 lead at 1:49 of the first period. The Wild won the faceoff in their defensive zone, and Zach Bogosian passed the puck up to Boldy, who skated above the Nashville defense to score on a wrist shot.

Boldy added to his tally with a backhand tip shot on the power play, giving the Wild a 2-0 advantage at 3:39.

Forsberg got Nashville on the board 2-1 with a wrist shot past Gustavsson on the power play.

On a fluke play in front of Nashville’s net, Nick Blankenburg lost possession of the puck, and Boldy quickly backhanded it past Saros to give the Wild a 3-1 lead at 12:58.

Stamkos buried his own power-play goal to make the score 3-2 at 16:45, and Eric Haula tied the game 3-3 on a wrist shot at 18:21.

Luke Evangalista gave the Predators their first lead of the game 41 seconds into the second period. Stamkos set him up for a wrist shot to make the score 4-3.

Yakov Trenin tied the game back up 4-4 at 16:06 when he skated in front of Roman Josi for a back-handed tap-in up close.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a wrist shot to make it 5-4 Wild at 15:14 of the third period, but Josi scored on the following faceoff to tie it 5-5 34 seconds later, setting the table for overtime.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading