Tennessee managed to take down Auburn 77-69 on Saturday, but things got a little too close for comfort for Volunteers coach Rick Barnes. Following the contest, Barnes attempted to make light of some of his team’s late-game mistakes … and immediately regretted it.
While giving credit to Auburn, Barnes took issue with some of Tennessee’s passes down the stretch. He added, “Sometimes, I wonder if my guys are betting on games,” and immediately realized that was not the best thing to say.
Barnes’ response read:
“At the end of the game, some of the passes that we throw, I don’t know what to say other than sometimes I wonder if my guys are betting on games. I shouldn’t say that. Erase that. I’m just wondering what’s happening. Because I know we’re too good of players to do that.”
At that point, Barnes may have looked over at Tennessee’s communications team before uttering, “Was that a bad … I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that. But that fact is, we’ve gotta get smarter.”
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Barnes was joking when he made the original statement about gambling, which drew laughs from those at the news conference. While he clearly didn’t mean any malice, he quickly realized the error of jokingly accusing his players of betting on games.
With the rise and normalization of legalized sports gambling, there have already been a handful of NCAA betting scandals involving current and former players. In September, players from Fresno State and San Jose State were banned for their alleged involvement in a gambling scandal. That same month, the NCAA said it was seeking additional sports-betting violations against 13 former players from six different schools.
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Given those scandals and the severity of the issue, Barnes knew he screwed up. He quickly backtracked, was apologetic and made it clear he was joking, but only after he had already delivered one heck of a quote.
De’Andre Hunter was sent from Cleveland to Sacramento, with Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis moving to Cleveland. To help facilitate the deal, Dario Šarić was traded to the Bulls, alongside two second-round selections.
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Saturday night’s trade most certainly did not shake up the power dynamics of the league. Nevertheless, let’s get into some trade grades on the deal:
Cleveland Cavaliers: B-
Schröder is fine, albeit unspectacular. The real get here is Ellis, a defensive menace who should immediately help Cleveland’s secondary rotation.
The Cavaliers relinquished Hunter, a 6-foot-8 wing who can play both forward spots, which does cause some concern for a playoff run, as they’ll now lack considerable size and offensive talent on the wing.
With Lonzo Ball struggling mightily this season, this deal helps the Cavs solve their backcourt issues, at least to a certain extent. But with the uncertainties of Ellis’ contractual future, along with the loss of Hunter, I can’t muster more than a “meh” for this one, until Ellis is sure to be kept around long-term.
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Sacramento Kings: C
Hunter has, generally, been underrated throughout the course of his career, so while he should be an upgrade for the Kings, one has to wonder … what’s really the point here?
If the Kings felt as though they needed something for Ellis before he could leave them, then that makes some sense. But to commit future money to Hunter, when the team is open to starting over, seems odd and somewhat random.
This grade doesn’t reflect Hunter as a player, but the Kings’ plans.
Now, I will make the following caveat: If the Kings follow this move up by trading DeMar DeRozan before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, then that at least clears a spot for Hunter to play alongside Keegan Murray, which makes some sense, as an interchangeable combo-forward duo that is collectively cost-controlled.
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So it’s not — necessarily — all bad in Sacramento. But it’s high time for the Kings to show us all of their plans, because everything still looks like a complete mess.
Wait, what? The Bulls made a good trade? Hold up, I’m just checking to see if Greenland is suddenly spouting palm trees.
The organization took on the contract of Šarić, presumably using part of a Zach LaVine TPE (traded player exception) to take him on, and in return for facilitating this deal they acquired two second-round selections.
What will this cost the Bulls?
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Not a damn thing. Šarić is an expiring contract, and the Bulls only had to waive Jevon Carter, who also is on an expiring contract anyway.
Given that they had plenty of room under the luxury tax to get this done, they essentially paid $5.4 million (Šarić’s salary) for two seconds, which in today’s NBA economy is perfectly reasonable, and they did it without relinquishing cash. Impressive work by the Bulls, who usually don’t make this type of trade.
Bill Belichick did many great things for the New England Patriots. But when he and the Patriots parted ways, he left the roster in shambles.
Two years ago, the Patriots might have had the fewest blue-chip players in the NFL. That’s a big reason why they went 4-13 in 2023, Belichick’s last season in New England, and also in 2024 with Jerod Mayo as head coach.
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The one break the Patriots got in their rebuild was they nailed the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking quarterback Drake Maye. But the rest of that draft class washed out fast. When head coach Mike Vrabel got to New England he had a promising quarterback, a few difference-makers like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and a lot of work to do to bring the roster up to a competent level, much less a championship level.
Then the Patriots showed everyone that you can turn a bad roster into an AFC champion with one aggressive offseason.
Patriots spend big in free agency
The Patriots went into free agency with more than $120 million in cap space, which was $30 million more than any other team. Teams in that position don’t always spend most of that cap space though. And spending big in free agency doesn’t always work out.
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But the Patriots had an owner in Robert Kraft who was willing to spend, and they knew their roster wasn’t good enough.
“We went 4-13. We have to have results,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at last year’s NFL scouting combine, via the Providence Journal. “We need to continue to improve the roster”
The Patriots had a plan, and it started with building both lines. The main addition was Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, a hero in last season’s Super Bowl, for $104 million over four years. They added Harold Landry (three years, $43.5 million), K’Lavon Chaisson (one year, $3 million) and Khyiris Tonga (one year, $2.1 million) to the defensive front too. Chaisson and Tonga were low-cost additions but both have played big roles.
The Patriots spent big last offseason in free agency, and it paid off. (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports)
On the offensive line, tackle Morgan Moses (three years, $24 million) and center Garrett Bradbury (two years, $9.5 million) were added. Both started in the AFC championship game.
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The Patriots weren’t just focused on the lines. They also added receiver Stefon Diggs (three years, $63.5 million), cornerback Carlton Davis (three years, $54 million), linebacker Robert Spillane (three years, $33 million), receiver Mack Hollins (two years, $8.4 million) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins (one year, $1.8 million). All of them started in the AFC championship game.
In all, the Patriots spent $364.4 million on 19 free agents, with $174.9 million guaranteed at signing according to Spotrac. It was a major investment in the roster, and they wouldn’t be in Super Bowl LX without that free agency class. Remember that when you hear that you can’t build a great team through free agency.
The Patriots added enough talent to build a foundation for the roster around Maye, with the NFL Draft to go. The Patriots were in an advantageous situation, having the fourth overall pick without having to reach for need. That helped clarify their draft strategy, focusing on players who fit their new culture under Vrabel.
“We feel really excited about the some of the names that we’ve added. We still know there’s a lot of work to be done,” Wolf said, via MassLive.com.
The Patriots started by picking left tackle Will Campbell, which was a position of need and also the best player available. Campbell had ups and downs as a rookie at a demanding position, but he was a starter from Day 1 and was a big upgrade.
“Adding Will to our football team is about a foundational piece, a young 21-year-old that’s mature beyond his years,” Vrabel said, via the team’s transcript. “He’s a leader. He’s durable. He’s physical, dependable, accountable.
“This was a very, very easy pick for us.”
They got another starter on the offensive line, guard Jared Wilson, in the third round. Safety Craig Woodson, a fourth-round pick, started almost the entire season. Kicker Andres Borregales filled a big need out of the sixth round. He hit 84.4% of his field goals in the regular season. Second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson started only four games at running back, but had 1,132 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns.
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The Patriots drafted 11 players. All 11 appeared in games during the regular season and remain on either the active roster or injured reserve. Three undrafted rookies appeared in regular season games and are on the active roster going into the Super Bowl. Sometimes a bad team can have a dozen or more rookies contribute. It’s very rare for a team that was good enough to go 14-3 in the regular season.
The Patriots spoke about not just adding talent, but also adding the type of players who would fit Vrabel’s mindset of a tough team that loves football.
“I think we’ve been trying to be very intentional about the people, about some of the people to build the foundation that Coach Vrabel and his vision has here for this football team,” Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden said after the draft. “That started in free agency and that’s been a major emphasis for us as we’ve gotten into this draft process.”
It was easy to see after the draft the Patriots had completely reshaped their roster.
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“I think we’ll be much more competitive this year,” Wolf said after the draft, according to the team’s transcript. “I don’t like to put expectations on it, but I think we did a lot of things this offseason that were advantageous to us moving forward.”
That was an understatement. Of New England’s 22 starters in the AFC championship game, 13 were new to the roster this season (seven on offense, six on defense). Many others who played a role in that win over the Broncos or throughout this season were added to the roster in a hectic offseason.
Not every rebuilding team has a head start like the Patriots did with Maye. But they did show that it’s possible to flip a bad roster in one offseason and make a Super Bowl. It just took a lot of money, and plenty of prescient decisions.
Now that he has won the Australian Open, now that he is the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, now that the major title count is at No. 7 with so much career runway to go, we no longer need to be afraid of saying what is obvious.
Novak Djokovic may currently stand as the greatest and most accomplished tennis player of all time, but Carlos Alcaraz is the most gifted person who has ever held a racket.
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We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs.
But our eyes do not deceive us.
This smiling Spanish prodigy, this whirling dervish of speed and power and mental genius, has crossed the threshold between what we thought he could be and what he really is: An absolute monster whose entire package of skills is unequaled by anyone who has ever played tennis.
As someone who grew up on Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who cherished how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the sport and who has grown to appreciate the way Djokovic maintained his body and evolved his game to stay relevant into his late 30s, I don’t think that’s hyperbole.
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Alcaraz has everything. He is him. And he’s only going to get better.
Alcaraz’s 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory in Sunday’s Australian Open final looked the way it probably should have looked between a 22-year-old and a 38-year-old who both played five-set marathons in the semifinals. Djokovic came out on fire, playing arguably one of the best sets of his career, and then began to fade as the younger man imposed his superior physicality. Alcaraz took the punch, started to work Djokovic into the corners and steadily asserted control over the proceedings. In the end, it wasn’t all that close.
Despite what was on the line in this match — the career Slam versus Djokovic becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to win a major — starting to think about Alcaraz’s place among the all-time greats is not based on this one match. Nor was this Australian final the passing-of-the-torch moment because that happened long before now.
This is about Alcaraz, now having conquered all four tournaments that define tennis greatness, thrusting himself into different conversations. Two years ago, he was picking off majors while working around his flaws. Now, he has none.
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It has been a bit cliché to say that Alcaraz combines the best attributes of the Big Three — Roger Federer’s creativity and flair, Nadal’s competitive spirit and Djokovic’s technical mastery. But there’s really no case against it. Alcaraz already had all the shots and world-class athleticism when he came on tour as a teenager. But as he’s grown up, Alcaraz has added so many layers to his tactical development and sharpened his in-match concentration that it brings to mind what Bobby Jones said in 1965 about Jack Nicklaus, who in turn used the same phrase about Tiger Woods: “He plays a game with which I am not familiar.”
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz (R) speaks with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after victory during their men’s singles final at the Australian Open. (Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images)
(PAUL CROCK via Getty Images)
When Nicklaus said that, Woods was on his way to winning his fifth major at the 2000 PGA Championship. At that moment, it seemed a given he would surpass Nicklaus’ record of 18.
As we know now, that never happened. Injuries and self-inflicted adversity got in the way, leaving Woods with 15. But for those fortunate enough to remember Woods’ peak, the golf we watched him play was simply better than anything anyone had ever seen.
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That’s where we are with Alcaraz now. This level of tennis is something completely new and different, and it comes from a young man in a big hurry to rewrite the history of the sport.
Already, he is in a club with just nine names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the only men who won all four Slams.
What we don’t know yet is whether 24 majors — the most sacred of Djokovic’s many records — will eventually come into play. The gap is still huge, and so many things can happen, from injuries to major life changes to motivation to another all-time great coming along whose name we don’t yet know.
But at the rate he’s going, Alcaraz would need to average two majors per year until he’s 31 to break the record. It’s crazy to say, given how hard these tournaments are to win, but that feels firmly within the realm of possibility because there really are no more questions for Alcaraz to answer.
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Could he win on all surfaces? Yes. Could he eliminate the dips in focus that made things more complicated than they needed to be earlier in his career? It was only a matter of time. Could he turn his serve from a decent shot into a weapon? It happened in one offseason. Could he do it without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his coaching box? Well, he just did.
That last one may not resonate much with casual fans, but the story of tennis’ offseason was Alcaraz separating from the coach who essentially raised him. This was more than just a professional relationship. Ferrero was almost like a second father, and his presence in the biggest moments often seemed like the support blanket Alcaraz needed when he was forced to manage stressful situations.
The details of their break-up are still murky, but they don’t matter much. It was just another hurdle for Alcaraz to conquer, and he went to Australia and cleared it with ease. His semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, breaking serve in the fifth set to stay in the tournament, was maybe the most mentally tough victory of his young career.
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So what’s next? What’s remaining?
Just the history left to be made, and putting the numbers behind what our eyes tell us.
While Djokovic, for now, is still the greatest of all time, Alcaraz is the best thing tennis has ever seen.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke about retirement at the end of the 2025 NFL season, and the team still doesn’t have a final decision from Fangio on whether he’ll coach in 2026, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Fangio, 67, reportedly also considered retirement last offseason, but ultimately came back. The coach reportedly committed to the team for 2026, but left open the possibility that he could change his mind.
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While the team is reportedly hopeful Fangio will return, it was concerned enough about his retirement that it reached out to former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, according to the Philly Voice. Gannon, however, agreed to join the Green Bay Packers as the team’s defensive coordinator, taking him off the table if Fangio retires.
The Eagles also considered reaching out to former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, according to the Philly Voice. Schwartz was passed over for the Browns’ head-coaching job — with the team instead hiring Todd Monken. Schwartz reportedly wants out of Cleveland after that decision. Schwartz held the DC job in Philadelphia from 2016-21, winning a Super Bowl after the 2017 season.
To further complicate matters, the Eagles lost defensive pass-game coordinator Christian Parker to the Dallas Cowboys. Parker was viewed as a possible replacement for Fangio, per the Inquirer, but is now out of the picture after agreeing to be the Cowboys’ next defensive coordinator. If Fangio leaves, Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt does have experience as a defensive coordinator.
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Fangio has a long history of success around the NFL, and remains one of the most feared defensive coordinators around. Thanks to Fangio’s scheme, the Eagles’ defense ranked fifth in points allowed in 2025. The Eagles ranked second in that category during Fangio’s first season with the team.
Fangio has been a consistent presence as a coordinator in the NFL since 1995, when he was first elevated to the position with the Carolina Panthers. He’s held that role with a number of teams over his NFL career, including the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.
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After years of success in that role, Fangio finally got his first head-coaching job in 2019 with the Denver Broncos. He spent three seasons with the team, putting up a 19-30 record. After being fired, Fangio spent one year with the Dolphins before joining the Eagles. He led Philadelphia’s defense to a Super Bowl win in his first season with the team.
The Portland Trail Blazers were looking for some perimeter shooting, and may have found an answer in Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci. The Trail Blazers reportedly acquired Krejci on Sunday, giving up two second-round picks and Duop Reath to make the deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Krejci, 25, is averaging a career-high nine points per game this season.
Krejci is known as a 3-point specialist. This season, the 25-year-old has a 42.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. That figure ranks within the top 20 in the league. He was even better last season, when he hit on 43.7 percent of his 3-point shots.
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The move comes a year-and-a-half after the Hawks signed Krejci to a four-year, $10 million deal. Krejci still has at least one year left on his deal, though the Trail Blazers can pick up a $3 million club option that keeps him in Portland through the 2027-28 NBA season.
In exchange, Portland will give up its 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2030 second-round pick that the team acquired from the New York Knicks. The team is also trading backup center Duop Reath to Atlanta as part of the deal. Reath was averaging 2.9 points per game before sustaining a season-ending foot injury.
With the deal, the Hawks now own seven future second-round picks between now and 2032.
Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot, or at least a spot in the play-in game as the trade deadline approaches. The Hawks sit at 24-27 entering Sunday, good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Trail Blazers are 23-26 and sit in ninth place in the West.
If either team is looking to make additional moves, that will have to happen soon. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, giving the Hawks and Trail Blazers just a few more days to make upgrades and improve their playoff chances.
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George will miss Sunday’s game against the Raptors in Toronto due to a sprained left ankle.
George suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Utah’s loss to Brooklyn on Friday. In his third year as a pro, George is having a breakout season, averaging 24.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4 rebounds per game. Sunday’s meeting with the Raptors will be just the third game George has missed this season.
Sunday begins a five-game road trip for the Jazz, where they’ll face the Raptors, Pacers, Hawks, Magic and Heat. Utah will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak on Sunday, but it won’t be easy with George officially being ruled out. George is second on the team in points, assists and minutes per game (34.4). He’s also shooting career highs from the field (45.9%) and 3-point range (37.7%).
George has taken a leap this season and is developing into a player who looks like a potential future All-Star. Many of his numbers are up significantly across the board, including nearly an eight-point increase in scoring after averaging 16.8 points per game last season. He’s become Utah’s second-most reliable player next to Lauri Markkanen.
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Veteran forward Kevin Love is also listed as probable for Sunday due to illness, along with Jazz teammate Jusuf Nurkić, who also has an illness. The Jazz and Raptors tipoff at 6 p.m. ET Sunday from the Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto.
The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly working on a deal to hire Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, NFL Network and ESPN reported Sunday. Per the report, the deal can’t be finalized until after the Super Bowl.
If confirmed, Kubiak will become the Raiders’ third head coach in three seasons and their sixth since 2021. Kubiak met with the Raiders and Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, according to ESPN.
Raiders owner Mark Davis, minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek led the head coaching search.
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
Kubiak is coming off his first season as offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. In 2025, the Seahawks went 14-3 and were the No. 1 seed in the NFC, advancing to Super Bowl LX with playoff wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. He also helped lead quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to breakout seasons, as Seattle boasted the No. 3 scoring offense in the league.
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Before Kubiak was the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks, he served as the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and the passing game coordinator for the 49ers and Denver Broncos. Kubiak also spent the 2020 season as the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings under his father, Gary Kubiak, and was promoted to Minnesota’s offensive coordinator the following season.
Questions remain about what the roster will look like heading into next season. The assumption by most is that the team will select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner this past season.
On Mendoza’s fit with the Raiders, Yahoo Sports draft analyst Nate Tice writes:
This pick feels more of a sure thing than whoever the Raiders are going to be hiring as head coach. Mendoza is a clean operator whose sheer professionalism could lift the floor up for a franchise that’s been in the doldrums for oh so long. Mendoza is accurate, has good size, moves well in the pocket, and constantly finds the right answer from the pocket (he’s already a standout in situations like third down, the red zone and two-minute drives). He’s not an overwhelming athlete, but can create and scramble for yards when things go astray.
That leaves lingering questions regarding the future of veteran Geno Smith.
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Last season, the Raiders traded a 2025 third-round draft pick for Smith, reuniting him with Carroll, who was his former head coach in Seattle. Smith struggled, throwing a league-high 17 interceptions. Now, with the No. 1 overall pick, nine additional draft picks and $110 million in salary cap space, the Raiders have no shortage of options.
The Raiders must also decide what to do with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2019, Crosby has established himself as one of the league’s top pass rushers. This season, he recorded 73 tackles, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He was shut down late in the year with a knee injury.
Crosby posted on social media after undergoing knee surgery in early January. “Clean up time. Successful surgery. Expecting 200% recovery,” Crosby said. “Year 8 will be the greatest year yet.”
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Despite having four years remaining on his contract, Crosby reportedly has no guaranteed money beyond 2026. Crosby also had admiration for Carroll.
Despite the Raiders’ recent struggles, their cap space, draft capital and young talent, such as tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, give the team plenty to work with heading into next season.
But for 40 minutes of basketball, the reigning champion Huskies had too much firepower for the Vols to keep up. No. 1 UConn turned a game that was tied at 42 at halftime into a 96-66 runaway at home on Sunday.
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With the win, UConn improved to 23-0 to keep its undefeated season intact. The Huskies have now won 39 straight games dating back to their championship 2024-25 season.
Tennessee was the last team to beat them on Feb. 6 of last season in Knoxville. UConn won 16 straight games from there to close out the season with its 12th national championship.
The Huskies are still a long way posting from their best start. They’ve finished undefeated in six different seasons, including a program-best 40-0 campaign in 2013-14.
Azzi Fudd and the Huskies broke open the second half to blow out Tennessee.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong lead UConn’s offensive explosion
Azzi Fudd led the Huskies on Sunday with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals on a day in which UConn shot 58% from the field and 50% (11 of 22) from 3. Fudd shot 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3 as all seven UConn players who attempted a field goal shot 50% or better from the field.
Sarah Strong tallied 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks while shooting 10 of 18 from the field and 2 of 5 from 3.
Tennessee closed the first half with a 12-6 run to enter the break tied, then took a 46-44 lead early in the third quarter. But UConn held Tennessee scoreless for the final 4:45 of the third while closing the quarter on a 14-0 run to take a 71-53 lead into the fourth. The Vols never recovered, and the Huskies ran away with the game from there.
The win for the Huskies was their fifth of the season over a ranked opponent. With eight more games on their regular-season schedule and none remaining against a ranked opponent, the path to the program’s seventh undefeated is in sight.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James will miss Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden due to soreness in his lower left leg.
James is on pace to top the number of games he played for the Lakers last season. In his rookie campaign, James played 27 games for the Lakers’ NBA squad, and this year he’s already appeared in 26. He’s bounced back and forth between the NBA and G League since being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Following Friday’s loss to the Washington Wizards, James was initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest with the Knicks before being downgraded to out. James played five minutes in the loss on Friday, scoring four points and making 2 of 3 free-throw attempts.
Sunday’s game at MSG against the Knicks is the first of two for the Lakers in New York, with a game against the Brooklyn Nets following on Tuesday. While LeBron James’ eldest son hasn’t blown anyone away performance-wise, some of his numbers have improved in Year 2. Most notably, he’s raised his 3-point percentage from 28.1% in his rookie year to 37.5% this season. James’ overall field-goal percentage is also up from 31.3% to 37% this season.
After the games in New York, the Lakers head back to L.A. for a seven-game homestand that’ll last over two weeks. That homestand includes games against the Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, Mavericks, Clippers, Celtics, and Magic. The Lakers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference at 29-18.
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The Lakers and Knicks will tipoff at 7 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden on Sunday on NBC and Peacock as part of the network’s “Sunday Night Basketball” presentation.
