Sports
Spurs pursue season-series-clinching win against Lakers
Feb 7, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) shoots in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Surging toward the All-Star break, the San Antonio Spurs will begin a back-to-back scenario before some much-deserved rest when they hit the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
The second half of the back-to-back for the Spurs, who arrive in California on a four-game winning streak, will be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in San Francisco. The All-Star Game will be in the Los Angeles area on Sunday.
The Lakers were on a three-game winning streak and had an eight-point lead in the third quarter on Monday before falling 119-110 to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles was without Luka Doncic (hamstring) for the second consecutive game.
The Spurs got past the Thunder 116-106 on Wednesday, then earned consecutive victories over the Dallas Mavericks, including a 138-125 home decision on Saturday when they scored a season-high 81 points in the first half.
Stephon Castle poured in a career-high 40 points in a triple-double that included 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
“Having a game like this is definitely a dream come true,” said Castle, who shot 15 of 19 from the floor. “It’s good to have (going) into the break and definitely a good sign. It felt good to be out there and comfortable with every shot I took and to see them go in.”
With a victory on Tuesday, San Antonio would match its longest winning streak of the season, five games, done twice before.
The Spurs have a 2-1 record against the Lakers going into the season finale between the teams. Castle is scoring 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists against Los Angeles this season.
In the most recent game between the teams, the Spurs earned a 107-91 home victory on Jan. 7 behind 27 points from Keldon Johnson, matching his season high. It was the Lakers’ second-lowest scoring game of the season.
LeBron James logged 22 points and 10 assists in the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder on Monday in the opener of the back-to-back. James played a team-high 36 minutes. The 41-year-old veteran, in his record 23rd NBA season, has played on consecutive days just twice this season, both times in mid-January.
Marcus Smart added 19 points for Los Angeles while Austin Reaves had 16 in his fourth game after missing more than a month with a calf strain. The Lakers made half of their 84 shots in the game but were outscored 26-19 in the fourth quarter.
“I was pretty bad in that second half,” said Reaves, who shot 1 of 7 from the floor and was called for a technical foul after halftime. “I have to be better than that.”
Now the Lakers will have limited preparation time following a loss to the top team in the Western Conference before facing the second-best club, the Spurs.
“When you play the best teams … you have to have a really high level of effort and you have to have a really high level of execution,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. “It’s gotta be both. I thought for the most part our effort was fantastic (against the Thunder), and in the key stretches of the game, our execution wasn’t great.”
While the Lakers are 14-8 in home games this season, the Spurs are 16-10 in road games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pair of 30-point scorers carry No. 5 Vanderbilt past No. 10 Oklahoma
Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes (1) celebrates after defeating Florida at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Mikayla Blakes scored 34 points and freshman Aubrey Galvan poured in a career-high 30 points, powering No. 5 Vanderbilt to a 102-86 win over No. 10 Oklahoma on Monday in Nashville.
Galvan hit 10 of 15 shots from the floor, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, for the Commodores (23-2, 9-2 Southeastern Conference). Her previous best was a 20-point effort against Michigan on Jan. 19.
Blakes notched her eighth 30-plus-point game of the season, shooting 13-for-23 and adding six assists in Vanderbilt’s third consecutive win.
The Sooners (17-6, 5-5) dropped their second game in a row despite getting double-doubles from Raegan Beers (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Sahara Williams (17 points, 10 boards). Each of those two committed six of Oklahoma’s 22 turnovers.
The Commodores led 31-19 after the first quarter, and the margin never slipped into single digits through the rest of the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 9 Kansas rallies to end No. 1 Arizona's unbeaten run
Feb 9, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) shoots against Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Flory Bidunga scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 9 Kansas handed top-ranked Arizona its first loss of the season, 82-78 on Monday at Lawrence, Kan.
The Wildcats (23-1, 10-1 Big 12) achieved the best start in Big 12 history at 23-0 overall before the defeat.
Kansas (19-5, 9-2) beat the No. 1 team at Allen Fieldhouse for the first time ever after losing five such games, including to Arizona the last time in 2003.
The Jayhawks won their eighth straight game overall despite playing without freshman star Darryn Peterson, who had flu-like symptoms. It was the 11th game Kansas played without Peterson, who has dealt with an ankle sprain, hamstring strain and chronic cramping.
Arizona led by 11 with 17:02 to go before Kansas rallied.
Bidunga made two free throws with 1:35 left to put the Jayhawks ahead 75-71.
Arizona’s Jaden Bradley missed a running jumper in the lane before Melvin Council Jr. made a driving shot to give Kansas a 77-71 edge with 51 seconds left.
A Bradley basket sliced into the gap, and after a turnover by Kansas on the inbound pass, Brayden Burries made a 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining to pull Arizona within 77-76.
Council was fouled and made both free throws with 31.4 seconds left.
Burries’ drive to the basket was blocked by Bidunga, and Council was fouled.
Council, who had 23 points, six rebounds and six assists, made 1 of 2 free throws to give Kansas an 80-76 lead with 16 seconds left.
Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas followed with a jumper in the lane with 9.8 seconds remaining.
Kansas’ Tre White made both of his free-throw attempts with 5.1 seconds left to seal the win.
Bryson Tiller finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Jayhawks.
Burries had 25 points and Krivas added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats.
Burries led a 7-0 run early in the second half with five of the points, putting Arizona ahead 55-44.
Kansas then scored seven unanswered points behind five points from Council.
The Jayhawks took their first lead, 65-64, with 9:32 remaining on a layup by Bidunga. That came in the midst of Kansas outscoring Arizona 25-9 to take a 69-64 edge with 6:56 left.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Donovan Mitchell's last-second FTs lift Cavs over Nuggets
Feb 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Donovan Mitchell hit two free throws with less than a second left and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-117 on Monday night.
Mitchell finished with 32 points and 10 assists, James Harden added 22 points and 10 rebounds in his second game with Cleveland, Jarrett Allen had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Jaylon Tyson finished with 16 points for the Cavaliers, who have won nine of their last 10.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and Jamal Murray had 17 points and 11 assists. The Nuggets have lost four of their last five.
It was Jokic’s 35th triple-double of the season and the 183rd of his career, second all-time to Russell Westbrook’s 207.
Cleveland trailed by seven late in the fourth but rallied to get within 115-114 on Mitchell’s lob to Allen. Jokic hit a short jumper in the lane but Harden drained a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to tie it.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 12 points, missed from deep and Murray fouled Mitchell with 0.9 seconds left. The Cavs star hit both free throws and Jokic missed a 3-pointer at the horn.
Julian Strawther matched his season high with 20 points, Christian Braun also scored 20 points, Jonas Valanciunas contributed 12 points and Cameron Johnson finished with 10 for Denver.
Jokic notched his triple-double when he fed Jalen Pickett for a 3-pointer, opening a 103-92 Nuggets lead with 10:01 left.
Harden, Tyson and Sam Merrill hit 3-pointers to make it 106-102 with 6:11 left. Denver missed two free throws and Harden had a steal and a lob to Allen for a dunk.
Braun hit a 3-pointer and Valanciunas made two free throws but Tyson drained one from deep and Allens split a pair from the line with 3:24 left.
Bruce Brown missed a floater and Mitchell’s layup made it 111-110.
The Nuggets led 59-54 at halftime, Cleveland rallied to go ahead 77-76 but Denver took a 92-87 lead into the fourth quarter.
–Field Level Media
Pair of 30-point scorers carry No. 5 Vanderbilt past No. 10 Oklahoma
No. 9 Kansas rallies to end No. 1 Arizona's unbeaten run
