Sports
Rested Heat crave first win over Magic this season
Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Looking to solve their in-state rival for the first time this year, the Miami Heat host the Orlando Magic in a Southeast Division meeting on Wednesday.
The Heat have dropped the first three games of the season series against the Magic, each single-digit losses. Miami is also vying to create some separation between the two, as it sits a game ahead of Orlando for the No. 7 seed in the current Eastern Conference standings.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team enters play following its only two-day stretch without a game in the month of January. The Heat went 3-2 in their recent five-game Western Conference road trip. After the brief break, Miami will play four games in five days, including three in a row against the Chicago Bulls due to a postponement on Jan. 8.
For Spoelstra, finishing the trip with victories over the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns proved the group’s toughness.
“It was a fun two games,” Spoelstra said. “That was a tough turnaround. I’m not making any excuses, but we got to bed at 6 a.m. and had two games in less than 22 hours. It’s fun. It’s fun to try and rally around that challenge. Oftentimes that could be a schedule-loss and everybody rallied around the opportunity. Hopefully it can lead to more momentum.”
The travel-weary Heat will enjoy the rare consecutive off-days.
“I’m sure everybody could use it, but the guys who will really need it the most are Norman (Powell), Bam (Adebayo) and Andrew (Wiggins),” Spoelstra said. “Probably Jaime (Jaquez Jr.) could use some extra time, as well. We’ll try to maximize that as much as possible.”
Powell’s 23.1 points per game lead Miami, while Adebayo adds 17.9 and Wiggins scores 15.7. The Heat were without Tyler Herro (21.9 ppg) for the road trip, as an MRI exam revealed a costochondral issue with his ribs. Herro has only appeared in 11 games this season and will be sidelined once more against the Magic.
Orlando is coming off back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers, matching a season-long with its fourth straight loss. A year after leading the league in scoring defense with an average of 105.5 points allowed per game, the Magic have regressed, surrendering 115.4 ppg this season.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley’s team has allowed 120.8 points per game in its four-game skid.
Compounding the lack of defense, the Magic have failed to reach the 100-point mark twice in their last three games.
“We just need to continue to stick with what we’ve been doing, because we’re getting open looks,” Mosley said. “That’s what we have to know. If we weren’t getting the looks we needed, then there’s something else we can look at.”
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero scored a season-high 37 points against Cleveland on Monday. The fourth-year forward has pulled his weight in January, averaging 24.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists since the calendar flipped to 2026.
“I thought he was ultra-aggressive demanding the ball (on Monday),” Mosley said. “His rebounding is the thing that we continue to challenge him to do and coming up with 10 tonight was big.”
Franz Wagner’s 22.2 ppg in an injury-plagued season leads Orlando. Wagner has missed the last three games with left ankle soreness and will sit out again Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cavs, unbeaten with James Harden in action, clash with Wizards
Feb 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Trade-deadline acquisition James Harden came through in the clutch during his first two games with the Cavaliers, rallying Cleveland to road victories over the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.
“The Beard” and the red-hot Cavaliers will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when they host the Washington Wizards. Cleveland has won four straight games, nine of its past 10 and is 11-2 since Jan. 14.
Harden buried the tying 3-pointer with 32 seconds left on Monday in Denver, and he finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Cleveland’s 119-117 triumph over the Nuggets. Donovan Mitchell made a pair of free throws with 0.9 ticks left to provide the margin of victory.
Mitchell had 32 points and 10 assists while Jarrett Allen continued his surge with 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Cavaliers wrapped up a 4-1 trip against Western Conference foes.
“We’re just hooping on vibes,” said Mitchell, who attended the Super Bowl with his fiancee, singer Coco Jones, who performed in the pregame on Sunday at Santa Clara, Calif. “That’s a testament to who we have on the team right now. We just figured it out.”
The starting backcourt of Harden and Mitchell combined for 58 points and 12 assists in its debut Saturday, a 132-126 Cavaliers win over the Kings. Allen made 11 of 12 shots and had 29 points and 10 rebounds in that contest, helping Cleveland score 75 points in the second half.
Mitchell said it only took one half of one game to develop chemistry with Harden, who was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for fellow point guard Darius Garland on Feb. 4.
“No practices, a couple of film sessions, that’s the way it’s supposed to happen,” Harden said. “We find a way to just get it done.
“Donovan could go out there and literally average 35 points per game, but his willingness to pass and be unselfish is a testament to him as a basketball player.”
The Cavaliers have moved into fourth place in the East, while Washington is mired in 14th following a 132-101 loss to the visiting Miami Heat on Sunday. The Wizards have dropped 13 of their past 17 games, including the past two in a row.
Second-year center Alex Sarr had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists after missing one game with an ankle injury, but Washington only dressed 10 players.
“You flush the experience and you focus on the next one,” Wizards point guard Bub Carrington said. “We couldn’t get rebounds, we missed a couple of shots and we turned the ball over. The game changed just like that.”
Carrington, who had 13 points and five assists against Miami, has provided consistent effort and performance. His averages of 10.2 points and 4.6 assists are virtually identical to last season, when he made the All-Rookie second team.
“He’s growing daily and we like how he’s playing,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “He sets a good standard for us, bringing a level of intensity and joy for the game we love.”
Recent trade pickup Anthony Davis (finger) may or may not play for Washington this season, but former All-Star Trae Young (knee, quadriceps) is scheduled to be examined next week and could suit up for the initial time in late February.
The Wizards have had no success against Cleveland over the past four years, losing 14 straight — seven at home and seven on the road. They have given up 278 points in two games against the Cavaliers this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tennessee focuses on inside offense ahead of Mississippi St. matchup
Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) passes the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images The remedy is simple for the Tennessee men’s basketball team: start making more layups.
An abundance of missed shots at the rim cost the Volunteers a Southeastern Conference game Saturday at Kentucky, a contest that Tennessee led by 14 points at halftime. The 74-71 loss also cost them a spot in the Top 25 rankings.
When the Volunteers (16-7, 6-4 SEC) oppose Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7) on Wednesday night in Starkville, Miss., they will attempt to get back on track.
“These guys will bounce back,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “They have too much pride. They work too hard. Their work ethic is too good.
“We have not reached the ceiling with this team, and that’s a good thing right now.”
Tennessee’s shortcomings on finishing at the rim have been an issue throughout the season. The Volunteers’ inability to convert Saturday — Tennessee missed four of its seven layup attempts — led to Tennessee’s four-game winning streak ending.
Freshman sensation Nate Ament has been doing his part for the Volunteers. He scored 28 points in a victory over Ole Miss last week and poured in 29 against Kentucky.
In addition to missed layups, Ament lamented his team going just 17 of 25 (68%) at the free-throw line.
“We’ve got to make shots at the rim and free throws, and we’ve got to be mentally tougher,” he said.
Mississippi State will enter the game coming off an 88-68 loss to then-No. 21 Arkansas on Saturday. The Bulldogs allowed a 20-2 run early in the first half and never recovered. Mississippi State trailed by 16 after that sequence and never got closer than 13 points in the second half.
Against Tennessee, the Bulldogs will need to shore up some of their defensive deficiencies.
“Point-of-attack defense,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said, referring to where the team has struggled. “We are not doing a good enough job on a consistent basis with old-fashioned guarding the basketball.
“Too many times the offenses are getting the ball where they want to go. (Opponents) are getting us in rotation where this defense is not built to be in rotation. And we’re not providing the resistance needed to keep offenses from where they are trying to get.”
Josh Hubbard, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer at 20.6 points per game, led the team with 16 against the Razorbacks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Birk Ruud grabs gold, American Alex Hall silver in men's slopestyle
Livigno, Italy – February 10, 2026. Gold medalist Birk Ruud of Norway celebrates on the podium after winning the Men’s Freeski Slopestyle with silver medalist Alex Hall of United States and bronze medalist Luca Harrington of New Zealand LIVIGNO, Italy — Freestyle skier Birk Ruud of Norway earned the gold medal in the men’s slopestyle event on Tuesday after an impeccable first run at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Alex Hall, the gold medalist four years ago in Beijing, won silver under cloudy skies on the slopes in the mountain town of Livigno to extend Team USA’s remarkable run in the event over the years.
Luca Harrington of New Zealand claimed bronze as one of the youngest competitors at 21.
The slopestyle event features skiers who slide across rails and perform aerial tricks to impress the judges with difficulty and originality. The best score from each skier’s three runs determines the rankings.
Ruud’s superb first run put him at the top of the leaderboard from the start. Hall tried to catch him but fell backward after coming off a rail in his third run.
Final scores came in at 86.28 for Ruud, 85.75 for Hall and 85.15 for Harrington.
Ruud, 25, pumped his fists and hugged the other medalists as he took the podium. Hall, 27, clapped his hands and smiled.
Team USA have earned a slopestyle medal in every Olympics since the event was introduced to the schedule in 2014.
Jesper Tjader, the bronze medalist in Beijing, was in medal contention going into his third run of the day but crash-landed off a rail, sending one of his skies flying.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
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