Sports
NBA commissioner Adam Silver sends message to tanking teams
Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Nothing is worse than a sore loser, except maybe an intentional one.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed a number of topics facing the league at his annual All-Star Weekend press conference on Saturday and the biggest of them at the present time surrounds teams tanking for better draft picks.
The Utah Jazz were just fined $500,000 for limiting the court time of two of its best players, while the Indiana Pacers were docked $100,000 for roster manipulation that kept three starters from a recent game.
Silver is not ignorant of the reasons why teams would prefer to lose during a season that has already gone sideways. But he is not shy about pointing out that their blatant approach is an eyesore.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver said before All-Star Saturday festivities. “Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”
It’s the integrity of the game that Silver says gives him the most pause.
While $600,000 in fines were handed out this week alone, Silver says the league could impose additional penalties, up to and including the forfeiture of the teams’ draft picks.
“I think we’re coming at it in two ways,” Silver said. “One is, again, focusing on the here and now, the behavior we’re seeing from our teams and doing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans and to their partner teams. But No. 2 … the competition committee started earlier this year re-examining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works.”
While Silver also addressed NBA expansion, he said more details will be known next month. The WNBA’s labor strife was framed as a more pressing issue, with the commissioner hopeful that the upcoming season will spur a willingness to reach a deal.
“I’m not ready to set a drop-dead date, but I will say, as I look at the calendar and the amount that we need to get done really over the next two months, because training camps are scheduled to open roughly two months from now,” Silver said.
“… I’m encouraged there has been more back and forth over the past few weeks. I think there’s been more direct engagement from players and team owners. I have not been at the table, but I’m very involved behind the scenes.”
Las Vegas and Seattle have been rumored to be next in line for NBA expansion teams, with Silver neither confirming nor denying interest in either city. He did say the NBA is not considering relocating any of its teams at this time.
“My sense is at the March board of governors meetings we’ll be having further discussions around an expansion process,” Silver said. “We won’t be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties.”
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
Sports
No. 17 St. John's win over Providence marred by brawl, ejections
Feb 14, 2026; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; St. John’s University Red Storm forward/guard Bryce Hopkins (23) shoots during the first half of the game against the Providence College Friars at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images Dylan Darling scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, leading No. 17 St. John’s to a 79-69 win over host Providence on Saturday afternoon in a game that included a benches-clearing altercation that led to six ejections.
The game changed for good with 14:25 left in regulation. Providence’s Duncan Powell committed a hard foul on former Friar Bryce Hopkins on a breakaway layup. Powell, Jaylin Sellers and Dillon Mitchell were ejected along with Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey and Lefteris Liotopoulos, who left the St. John’s bench area.
Following a delay for video review and debriefing, the Red Storm sank three of the four ensuing free throws to start an 8-0 run and take a 47-40 lead. Darling finished that stretch with his first of back-to-back 3-pointers and stole an inbounds pass for a layup.
St. John’s outscored Providence 40-29 to finish.
Darling sank three 3-pointers, went 8 of 9 from the foul line and added eight rebounds en route to a season-best performance for the Red Storm (20-5, 13-1), who extended their win streak to 11 since a Jan. 3 home loss to Providence.
Zuby Ejiofor scored 14 points, Oziyah Sellers added 11 and Hopkins had nine points and nine rebounds to add to the St. John’s attack.
Stefan Vaaks had 20 points, Ryan Mela scored 14 and Jaylin Sellers added 13 for Providence (11-15, 4-11), which has lost six of its last eight.
Before the brawl, Providence had been on a 14-1 run dating back to the final minutes of the first half, with a Jaylin Sellers 3-pointer highlighting the spurt and kicking off a back-and-forth stretch during which the game was tied two other times.
After the altercation, Providence got within four after Vaaks’ outlet feed led to a Jamier Jones three-point play with 13:55 left, but got no closer as Darling scored the game’s next five points and Ejiofor responded to multiple Mela baskets midway through the half.
Oziyah Sellers’ midrange jumper with 5:52 left gave St. John’s a double-digit lead again as part of a 9-3 run that put the game out of reach.
The Red Storm stormed out of the gates, responding to Oswin Erhunmwunse’s opening layup with a 10-0 run. Two Providence turnovers extended the segment, with Hopkins scoring the first of back-to-back baskets off steals.
After Mela’s layup stopped the run, Stu Jackson sank a 3-pointer and turned another turnover into a dunk for a 15-4 St. John’s lead in less than five minutes. A 5-0 burst brought Providence within seven, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Darling and Joson Sanon gave the Storm a 13-point lead.
A Jones three-point play and a Vaaks trey bookended Providence’s longest first-half run, making it 25-20 with 7:09 to play. St. John’s answered a near six-minute field-goal drought with a 9-2 run including a Hopkins transition dunk, but five Jaylin Sellers points and a Powell triple ended the first half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nate Kingz's game-winner lifts Syracuse over SMU
Feb 14, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Kiyan Anthony (7) looks to get the ball past Southern Methodist University Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) in the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Nate Kingz drove the lane and hit the winning layup with 2.3 seconds to play to lift host Syracuse to a wild 79-78 win over SMU on Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic Coast Conference dustup.
The Mustangs led 61-49 with 12:15 to play before Syracuse (15-11, 6-7 ACC) rallied. Naithan George grabbed a rebound and went the length of the floor for a layup to put the Orange up by a point with 3:21 left.
Jaden Toombs’s follow-up tip in with 2:41 left put the Mustangs back on top, but Toombs then missed a pair of free throws with 1:28 to play that would have expanded the lead. Syracuse’s Tyler Betsey missed out a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left before SMU came up empty on the next possession, setting the table for Kingz’s game-winning drive to the basket.
Donnie Freeman led the Orange with 18 points, while George scored 16. Kingz and Kiyan Anthony had 13 points each.
Toombs paced SMU (17-8, 6-6 ACC) with 19 points. Corey Washington added 13 points and nine rebounds, Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 12 points, and Boopie Miller and Samet Yigitoglu tallied 11 each. SMU went scoreless over the final 2:41 and missed six of its final seven shots.
The game went back and forth over its first five and a half minutes and was tied at 12-12 after Freeman hit a free throw at the 14:35 mark of the first half. SMU took the lead and pushed its advantage to 24-17 on Jermaine O’Neal Jr.’s dunk off a fast break pass from Miller with 9:19 left in the half.
Syracuse was within 24-21 after a pair of free throws by Freeman with 8:37 to play before halftime. The Mustangs then got pair of baskets from Toombs along with two free throws and a 3-pointer from Pierre to stroke their lead to 33-21 with 6:22 remaining.
But the Orange swung back, using an 8-0 run to draw to within 37-35 after William Kyle III hit a pair from the charity stripe with 1:50 left in the half. Washington’s jumper 48 seconds later allowed SMU to carry a 39-35 lead into the break.
Freeman led all scorers with 11 first half points, while Toombs amassed 10 off the bench for SMU.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hot of late, Cincinnati out to extend Utah's road woes
Feb 8, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) shoots against UCF Knights guard Riley Kugel (2) in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Cincinnati looks to continue its offensive outburst and its winning ways when it hosts struggling Utah on Sunday afternoon in Big 12 play.
The Bearcats (13-12, 5-7 Big 12) have found their stride offensively in winning their last two games, reaching the 90-point plateau for the first two times in Big 12 action. Utah (9-15, 1-10) comes in on a six-game losing streak and has dropped 11 of 12.
After falling below .500 for the first time in the Wes Miller era and for the first time since the 2020-21 season, Cincinnati has responded with two resounding conference wins, 92-72 over visiting UCF last Sunday and a 91-62 victory at Kansas State on Wednesday. The point totals are the third and fourth-most on the season behind 94-point outputs against Western Carolina and NJIT.
Over the past two games, Jizzle James is averaging 19.5 points on 58.3% shooting (14 of 24) from the field and 69.2% (9 of 13) from 3-point range, while big man Baba Miller has averaged 16.5 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 52.9% (9 of 17) from the field.
“I got in a rhythm (against Kansas State) and I kept trusting my work,” James said. “I’m glad they were able to go down. That’s something I’ve been working on consistently. We’ll just build on (the win), and now we’re just looking forward to our next game.”
Cincinnati shot a season-high 58.9% (33 of 56) from the field against UCF and connected on a season-high 16 threes against Kansas State. The games marked the two best 3-point shooting nights of the season (61.1% on 11 of 18 against UCF and 57.1% on 16 of 28 at Kansas State).
Utah, on the other hand, is looking for a win of any kind. The Utes are 0-8 on the road this season and have dropped all five road games in conference play.
The Utes are led by Terrence Brown, who is averaging 20.8 points, ranked fourth in the Big 12 as of Saturday, and shooting 44.9% from the field. Brown also averages 3.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
“Terrence needs to have more of a well-rounded, complete game, not just scoring,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said. “He’s got to do it with his defense and passing and he’s gotten better at that.”
Keanu Dawes has also been a bright spot for the Utes in their six-game skid. In the last five games since being held scoreless against Kansas State, the 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 15.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 62.5% from the field. Dawes has pulled down double-digit rebounds in three of the last four games, including two resulting in double-doubles.
–Field Level Media
No. 17 St. John's win over Providence marred by brawl, ejections
Nate Kingz's game-winner lifts Syracuse over SMU
