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Hornets perform in the clutch vs. Hawks to win ninth in a row

NBA: Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta HawksFeb 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots over Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Moussa Diabate scored six straight fourth-quarter points, including a pair of thunderous dunks, to spark the visiting Charlotte Hornets to their ninth straight victory, a 126-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Trailing 110-109 with 6:31 remaining, Diabate made two free throws and threw down back-to-back slams to give Charlotte a five-point lead. Atlanta could never catch up but had a chance to tie the game with 15 seconds when Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed a 3-pointer.

The Hornets were led by Miles Bridges with 26 points and Kon Knueppel with 23 points, including six 3-pointers, and eight rebounds. LaMelo Ball added 19 points and nine assists. Diabate finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson finished with 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Zaccharie Risacher scored 18 and Onyeka Okongwu, who returned from missing four games with a facial fracture, had 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Hornets matched their longest winning streak since winning nine straight during the 1998-89 season.

Atlanta led by nine points with 2:42 left the first quarter, but the Hornets cut the lead to 35-32 by the end of the quarter. Charlotte tied the game on a three-point play by Ball at 11:21, setting off a back-and-forth period that ended with the game tied 60-60 at halftime. There were 13 lead changes and four ties in the first half.

The Hornets, behind nine points from Ball, scored the final 11 points of the third quarter and took a 98-90 lead into the final period. A 3-pointer by Ball gave Charlotte a 101-92 lead, but Atlanta went on a 16-4 run to take a 108-105 lead on a 3-pointer by Risacher with 7:55 left.

The Hornets now lead the season series 2-1 and ended a three-game losing streak in Atlanta. The teams meet for the final time on Wednesday in Charlotte.

Atlanta’s newly acquired Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent were available but did not play. The team said Jonathan Kuminga, the other player who came over in the trade, will be out until the All-Star break with a left knee bone bruise.

–Field Level Media

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Labaron Philon's 25 points squeeze Alabama past Auburn

Syndication: The Montgomery AdvertiserAlabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway (2) drives on Auburn Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall (7) as Auburn Tigers take on Alabama Crimson Tide at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.

Labaron Philon scored 25 points and three teammates hit double figures as Alabama held off host Auburn 96-92 on Saturday.

Amari Allen added 17 points, Aden Holloway scored 15 and Charles Bediako had 12 for the Crimson Tide (16-7, 6-4 SEC).

Tahaad Pettiford scored 25 points, Keyshawn Hall had 24 before fouling out, Kevin Overton contributed 17 points and KeShawn Murphy added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (14-9, 5-5), who lost their second straight after a four-game winning streak.

Auburn scored the first three points of the second half to open a 44-37 lead. Holloway’s layup produced Alabama’s first points, but the Tigers increased the lead to 54-47 on a Hall layup with 15:31 to play.

London Jemison scored seven consecutive points to start an 11-0 spurt that gave the Tide a 58-54 lead. Pettiford and Overton each made a 3-pointer and the Tigers pulled even at 60.

Philon’s 3-pointer broke the tie before the lead changed hands twice. The Tide opened a 71-65 lead on Aiden Sherrell’s 3-pointer with 9:10 to go. Auburn got within one point, but Philon scored the next five points.

Once again, the Tigers saw an Alabama six-point lead and crept within one. Allen made a 3-pointer and Tide pushed the lead back to six twice more. Murphy’s 3-pointer cut the lead in half, but Holloway made three free throws for a six-point margin with 28 seconds left.

At the game’s outset, the lead changed hands three times before Overton made consecutive 3-pointers to complete a 10-2 run and give Auburn a 14-7 lead. Philon made a 3-pointer to slow the momentum, but Elyjah Freeman scored four straight points to help the Tigers take a 20-12 lead.

The Tide scored the next six points before the Tigers extended the margin to six points on four occasions. They pushed the lead to 36-26 — the largest of the game — on two Pettiford free throws with 2:33 left in the half.

Houston Mallette made two 3-pointers during an 11-2 run by Alabama before Overton’s 3-pointer left Auburn with a 41-37 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

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Super Bowl LX: Patriots thinking about path to big game

NFL: Super Bowl LX-New England Patriots Press ConferenceFeb 5, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel talks to media members at the Santa Clara Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

PALO ALTO, Calif. – The New England Patriots returned to Stanford Stadium for a final time on Saturday afternoon to take a team photo and spend time with their family and friends ahead of Super Bowl LX.

Quarterback Drake Maye was the first player on the field to take photos. Players wore the white jerseys and white pants they will don on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. A team photographer took photos of each position group in front of a backdrop before players lined up in numerical orders on the bleachers for the official Super Bowl photo.

After a couple of quick snaps, players were free to mingle with their families and friends. Assistant coaches chased toddlers around the field, while a group of older children took turns hurling themselves into a tackling dummy. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels pulled both Maye and receiver Stefon Diggs aside to take photos with McDaniels’ kids, who range in age from 13 to 21.

“I want them to enjoy this time with their families,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “You can see how many people care about us and helped us get to this position, and this is all part of being able to celebrate it.”

Vrabel was planning to speak with the team later Saturday at their hotel in Santa Clara. He planned to remind players about the team’s path here, and the identity they built along the way.

“Everybody talked about getting to this point, and hoped for it to happen at the beginning of the year. Now it’s real,” Vrabel said. “That’s what I think has been pretty cool.”

The Patriots made two roster moves on Saturday, elevating defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III and running back D’Ernest Johnson off the practice squad.

–Pro Football Writers of America

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Florida State wins third straight, keeps Notre Dame reeling

NCAA Basketball: Florida State at Notre DameFeb 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Robert McCray V. (6) blocks Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) as guard Lajae Jones (10) also defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Chauncey Wiggins scored 22 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just under two minutes left on his 21st birthday to help Florida State win its third straight game, 82-79 over Notre Dame on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference play at South Bend, Ind.

Florida State (11-12, 4-6) led by as many as 18 in the first half, 41-32 at halftime and by 11 early in the second half. However, the Seminoles shot 37.9% from the field in the second half while Notre Dame (11-13, 2-9) shot 51.5% to work back and take a 75-74 lead on Logan Imes’ 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining.

Then Wiggins, who went 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, knocked down a deep 3-pointer left of the top of the arc with 1:52 to go that put the Seminoles ahead for good.

Notre Dame forward Carson Towt missed four attempts from the foul line down the stretch. Florida State’s Alier Maluk hit two free throws with 9.3 seconds remaining to reach the final margin and send the Seminoles to their fourth win in five games.

Braeden Shrewsberry had 18 points and Jalen Haralson scored 15 before fouling out with 2:33 left for the Fighting Irish, who have lost four straight games and nine of 10 to remain in jeopardy of missing the ACC tournament.

Florida State came out hot, scoring 17 of the game’s first 19 points. The Seminoles’ first 15 points came via two 3-pointers apiece from Wiggins and Rod McCray V (15 points), and the other from Lajae Jones.

The visitors opened 6 of 10 from long distance and 8 of 13 overall from the field en route to building a 27-9 lead. However, Florida State went 3 of 12 from beyond the arc the rest of the half and 6 of 23 from the floor.

Notre Dame shot just 32.3% from the field in the opening half but used a 10-0 run to get back in the contest. Sir Mohammed’s 3-pointer with 1:01 left before the break got the Irish to 36-30 before the Seminoles scored the next five points for more breathing room entering halftime.

Florida State hit 15 of 37 from long range for the game.

–Field Level Media

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