Sports
Pelicans send Kings to Sacramento-era record 13th straight loss
Feb 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Trey Murphy III produced 21 points and seven assists, Zion Williamson added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans knocked off the visiting Sacramento Kings 120-94 on Monday.
The Kings took their 13th defeat in a row, setting a club record since the team moved to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season. The franchise-worst skid is 14 games, recorded by the Cincinnati Royals in both 1959-60 and 1971-72.
Jeremiah Fears added 20 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who won their second straight game while posting their biggest win of the season in terms of margin of victory. Saddiq Bey put up 12 points as the team shot 54% (47 of 87) from the field, including 41% (16 of 39) from beyond the arc.
The Kings led for the majority of the first quarter before a 3-pointer from Murphy and a bucket from Fears gave New Orleans the lead for good. The Pelicans stretched their advantage in each of the next three quarters.
Murphy and Williamson combined to score 14 of the Pelicans’ 31 third-quarter points, and the hosts went up by 30 points late in the period on a Yves Missi dunk.
Rookie Maxime Reynaud totaled 21 points and a career-high 19 rebounds to lead Sacramento. Russell Westbrook scored eight of his 17 points in the third quarter, Devin Carter had 12 points off the bench, and Dylan Cardwell grabbed 11 rebounds. Rookie Nique Clifford chipped in with 10 points.
The Kings were ultimately done in by a hellacious night from 3-point range. They shot just 12.9% (4 of 31) from beyond the arc. The Kings finished shooting just 40.4% (40 of 99) from the field.
The Pelicans had 30 assists to 13 turnovers, while Sacramento had 19 assists and 17 turnovers.
Karlo Matkovic scored 12 points, hitting two 3-pointers, to go with a team-high nine rebounds off the bench for the Pelicans, whose reserves outscored Sacramento’s 53-30.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raiders confirm Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as new head coach
Feb 5, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images The Las Vegas Raiders have hired Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, making the previously reported decision official in a social media post Monday.
The Raiders posted a video of Kubiak exiting a plane in the Las Vegas area with his family, with the caption, “Leadership in place.”
Kubiak confirmed the move Sunday night on the Levi’s Stadium turf after his Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX.
“You guys know I’m going to Las Vegas,” he told reporters there. “I’m fired up about it.”
It’s the second straight head coach the Raiders have hired from Seattle. A year ago, they tapped Pete Carroll, who was serving in a senior adviser role with the Seahawks following his head-coaching tenure from 2010-23. Carroll lasted one year in Las Vegas and was dismissed after the team went 3-14 and secured the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Kubiak also becomes the Raiders’ sixth head coach, counting interims, since 2021.
Jon Gruden stepped down in October 2021 when homophobic and racist emails he had written were leaked to the public. Following interim Rich Bisaccia were Josh McDaniels (2022-23), Antonio Pierce (2023-24) and Carroll.
Only Bisaccia coached a playoff game in that time. The Raiders have earned just two postseason appearances — and have not won a playoff game or a division title — since reaching Super Bowl XXXVII to close the 2002 season.
Kubiak, who turns 39 next week, is the son of Gary Kubiak, the former head coach of the Houston Texans (2006-13) and Denver Broncos (2015-16) who won Super Bowl 50 with the Peyton Manning-led Broncos.
Kubiak spent just one year on the job in Seattle and helped the Seahawks rank third in scoring offense and eighth in total offense despite quarterback Sam Darnold leading the NFL in giveaways.
Previously, Kubiak was the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2021, the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos (2022) and San Francisco 49ers (2023) and the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator in 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 17 St. John's bests Xavier in OT as Rick Pitino sweeps son
Feb 9, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Xavier Musketeers head coach Richard Pitino is greeted by St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Zuby Ejiofor scored six points in overtime for No. 17 St. John’s, which fended off an upset bid by Xavier to earn an 87-82 win in Big East action Monday night in New York.
The win was the 904th on-court victory for St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, who snapped a tie with Roy Williams for third-place all-time. It was the second milestone victory for Rick Pitino over Xavier — coached by his son Richard — in 16 days. The Red Storm beat the Musketeers 88-83 on Jan. 24 for Rick Pitino’s 900th win.
The NCAA recognizes Rick Pitino with 781 wins after he was stripped of 123 victories due to violations at Louisville.
Ejiofor finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists for St. John’s (19-5, 12-1 Big East), which has won 10 straight — the third 10-game winning streak in the last two seasons under Rick Pitino.
Bryce Hopkins had 19 points, nine rebounds and two key overtime steals for the Red Storm. Dylan Darling had 16 points off the bench while starter Oziyah Sellers added 11 points.
St. John’s won despite shooting just 23.1% (3-of-13) from 3-point land and 68.3% (28-of-41) from the free-throw line.
Tre Carroll had 21 points and eight rebounds but missed a potential game-winning shot at the regulation buzzer for Xavier (12-12, 4-9 Big East), which has lost five of six.
Filip Borovicanin (12 points, 10 rebounds) posted a double-double. Jovan Milicevic had 13 points, Malik Messina-Moore had 11 and reserve Anthony Robinson added 10.
The Musketeers shot just 29.4% (5-of-17) from 3-point land and 52.9% (9-of-17) from the free-throw line.
Neither team had a lead of larger than five nor a run of longer than seven straight points during a back-and-forth contest that featured 15 ties and 15 lead changes.
Ejiofor and Borovicanin swapped baskets to open the extra session before Hopkins intercepted Isaiah Walker’s pass into the paint to set up the two free throws by Ejiofor that put St. John’s up for good at 82-80.
Borovicanin missed a layup and Hopkins split a pair of free throws before stealing the ball from Carroll to lead to two more free throws by Ejiofor with 2:07 left. Robinson’s jumper with 56 seconds left pulled Xavier within 85-82, but the teams traded empty trips before Sellers iced the win with a breakaway dunk with seven seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brawl between Pistons, Hornets results in four ejections
Feb 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) battles for position on a foul shot with Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images A brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets happened midway through the third quarter Monday night in Charlotte, resulting in four ejections and a lengthy delay.
With 7:09 to play in the quarter, a confrontation broke out between Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate.
Diabate fouled Duren in the lane and Duren turned and squared up with Diabate. When that scrap wound down, another broke out near midcourt.
That involved Charlotte’s Miles Bridges coming off the bench and tangling with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart.
Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected. By the end of the fighting, the mayhem spread across most of the court.
Duren had scored 15 points in 20 minutes for the Pistons.
Detroit led 70-62 at the time.
–Field Level Media
