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
Dailyn Swain (double-double) leads Texas past South Carolina
Feb 3, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) celebrates a basket during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Dailyn Swain collected team highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds to help Texas defeat South Carolina 84-75 on Tuesday night in Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns (14-9, 5-5 Southeastern Conference) led by four points at halftime before South Carolina twice leapfrogged to the front — the latest on Elijah Strong’s layoup with 14:32 left in the game. Texas went back up 50-46 before a jumper by the Gamecocks’ Meechie Johnson tied the game with 11:23 remaining.
Camden Heide’s 3-pointer on the ensuing possession put Texas back in the lead and the Longhorns slowly pulled away, building the margin to 11 points in the waning seconds while never allowing the Gamecocks closer than two points. The Longhorns finished the game by hitting five of their last six shots from the floor.
Tramon Mark added 18 points for Texas while Matas Vokietaitis and Heide had 12 each. The Longhorns earned a 40-25 edge on the glass and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.
Johnson, a senior guard, scored a career-high 35 points for the Gamecocks (11-12, 2-8) and Strong added 12.
The Gamecocks built a 16-7 lead after a Strong putback layup with 12:32 to play in the first half. Texas responded with an 8-0 run, capped by Mark’s 3-pointer at the 10:49 mark, to cull its deficit to a point.
Swain’s jumper with 6:20 to play until halftime tied the contest 23-23 before Strong and Johnson each canned a pair of free throws to put South Carolina back on top by four. The Longhorns went in front at 28-27 after Lassina Traore’s two made shots from the charity stripe and, after a change of leads, expanded their advantage to four point after two more free throws by Traore, these with 2:03 left.
Johnson and Heide traded baskets over the final 1:14 of the half, allowing the Longhorns a 35-31 advantage at the break.
Johnson paced all scorers with 15 points by halftime. Vokietaitis led Texas with eight points over the first 20 minutes of play and Swain had seven as the Longhorns shot just 30.8% (8 of 26) from the field, compared to 44% (11 of 25) for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina took a 42-41 lead when Eli Ellis canned a 3-pointer with 15:05 to play. The lead changed hands three tims, with Texas eventually going up by four on two Swain free throws with 13:24 left.
The Gamecocks shot 55.2% in the second half (16 of 29), but only 1-for-7 from 3-point range, and they made 11 of 16 free throws. The Longhorns kept pace by making 16 of 30 in the second half (55.3%), including 3 of 7 from distance. Texas was 14 of 15 at the foul line.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 25 Tennessee rides second-half surge to down Ole Miss
Feb 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) moves the ball against Mississippi Rebels guard Patton Pinkins (23) during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images Nate Ament scored 28 points, Ja’kobi Gillespie added 20 and No. 25 Tennessee rode a second-half surge to win its fourth consecutive game by defeating Ole Miss 84-66 on Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tenn.
Gillespie bounced back from a foul-plagued 11-point outing against Auburn on Saturday to surpass his team-leading season average (18.6). AJ Estrella had 12 points and nine rebounds and Bishop Boswell added 10 points and eight boards for the Volunteers (16-6, 6-3 SEC), who had a 58-41 scoring advantage in the second half.
Patton Pinkins and AJ Storr scored 15 points each, Ilias Kamardine added 11 and Eduardo Klafke had 10 for the Rebels (11-11, 3-6).
Gillespie hit a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring, Dewayne Brown II added a three-point play shortly after, as the Vols increased their one-point halftime lead to six.
The margin reached eight before Storr made a 3-pointer to cut the Rebels’ deficit to 43-38. However, Tennessee pushed the lead to 11 with Gillespie’s 3-pointer midway through the half. Ament scored a three-point play, then added a jumper and two free throws to grow the lead to 16 and put the Vols in control.
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard was ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 6:15 remaining.
The Vols made 23 of 34 free throws and the Rebels made 13 of 21.
Estrella scored six points, Gillespie made a 3-pointer and Ament added a layup during a 9-0 run that gave the Vols a 12-5 lead. Pinkins made a 3-pointer to end the run and Malik Dia added a free throw to pull the Rebels within three points.
Gillespie and Troy Henderson responded with consecutive 3-pointers, but Klafke made a jumper and Kamardine and Pinkins made consecutive 3-pointers during an 8-0 run that got Ole Miss within 18-17.
Jaylen Carey answered with a jumper, Tennessee’s last field goal for 6:30. But the Vols didn’t relinquish the lead and Gillespie ended the drought with a 3-pointer that produced a 26-20 lead.
Storr made a jumper and converted a three-point play, pulling Ole Miss within 26-25 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
Sports
With just seven players, Jazz beat Pacers to snap losing streak
Feb 3, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Johnny Furphy (12) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 20 as the Utah Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 131-122 in a matchup of two short-handed teams on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
The Jazz snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak by shooting 56.8% from the field and 44.8% (13 of 29) from 3-point range.
All seven players who took the floor for Utah scored in double figures, including Ace Bailey (19), Svi Mykhailiuk (18), and Isaiah Collier, who had 17 points and a career-high 22 assists. Kyle Filipowski added 16 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, and Cody Williams chipped in 14 points.
Utah led 112-108 with 6:19 left before Sensabaugh hit two 3-pointers during a 15-5 run to help the Jazz extend their lead to 127-113 with 2:39 remaining.
The Pacers had nine active players and lost their second straight game despite shooting 53.6% from the field.
Jarace Walker and Quenton Jackson led the Pacers with 24 points apiece. Johnny Furphy scored 14 points, Jay Huff and Kam Jones added 12 apiece, Isaiah Jackson had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ethan Thompson scored 11.
Hours before the game, Utah acquired two-time All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr. and Jock Landale from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round selections.
Indiana played without Bennedict Mathurin (rest), Aaron Nesmith (left hand), Andrew Nembhard (lower back), T.J. McConnell (left knee) and Pascal Siakam (rest) on the second night of a back-to-back.
Indiana led by as many as 10 early in the second quarter before Utah battled back to tie the game at 56-all at halftime.
Quenton Jackson scored 13 points in the first half for the Pacers, who trailed 91-83 after Mykhailiuk scored with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
Utah held a 96-89 advantage at the end of the third quarter after outscoring the Pacers 40-33 in the period.
Collier started at point guard in place of Keyonte George, who missed his second straight game due to a sprained left ankle.
–Field Level Media
Dailyn Swain (double-double) leads Texas past South Carolina
No. 25 Tennessee rides second-half surge to down Ole Miss
