Sports
James Harden in focus, for whichever team, when Cavs visit Clippers
Jan 27, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts after a shot against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images There could be familiar faces in different places when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Multiple reports on Tuesday had the Clippers sending 11-time All-Star guard James Harden to the Cavaliers for two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick.
Harden, 36, has not played in either of the Clippers’ past two games, with his official designation listed as “personal.” If the trade is made in time, he presumably could take the court against his former team Wednesday.
Garland, 26, has missed the Cavaliers past nine games with a toe sprain, leaving his potential availability in doubt.
While Cleveland will enter the game following a 130-111 victory at Portland on Sunday, Los Angeles will try to bounce back following a 128-113 loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles is still 17-5 since Dec. 20 and 1-1 without Harden the past two games. Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points in the loss but was held to 0-of-5 shooting in the opening quarter when the 76ers raced to an early double-digit lead and never relented.
Leonard, who was named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career Tuesday, was double-teamed as soon as he touched the ball in the early going against the 76ers, and no teammate emerged as an alternate scoring threat.
“I’m not necessarily sure … it’s more than one thing,” Clippers forward John Collins said when asked what went wrong. “Offensive execution. They were making a lot of tough shots. Second night of a back-to-back. I mean those are all excuses. Just got to step up and play better.”
Jordan Miller scored 21 points, rookie Kobe Sanders had 17 and Collins added 15 for the Clippers, who lost despite shooting 59.0% from the floor. Their typically strong defense saw the 76ers go 17 of 39 (43.6%) from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers received a career-high 40 points and also 17 rebounds from center Jarrett Allen in Sunday’s win over the Trail Blazers. Sam Merrill scored 22 points and Jaylon Tyson added 18 as Cleveland won going away on a below-average night from star Donovan Mitchell (14 points).
The Cavaliers did make a trade Saturday, acquiring guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from the Sacramento Kings for forward De’Andre Hunter in a three-team deal that included the Chicago Bulls.
“I’m excited to be on a winning team,” the defensive-minded Ellis said Tuesday. “(The Cavaliers) are a great team with some good pieces. I’m playing hard every night and being a great teammate. I feel like I just play winning basketball night in and night out.”
The Cavaliers have won six of their past seven games, with their only loss in the stretch at Phoenix on Friday. The Clippers won at Phoenix on Sunday but stumbled one day later.
If a Harden-Garland deal is not made by the time the teams meet Wednesday, there will be less than 24 hours to make roster adjustments via trade before Thursday afternoon’s league deadline.
Clippers players do not want to see Harden depart, but they have no hard feelings over his reported request for a trade.
“It was a surprise,” Leonard said of the trade rumor, which surfaced while the Clippers were playing the 76ers. “… I respect his decision, or whoever’s decision it is. He’s still going to be my boy, and I trust the front office.”
–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
