It has been a tough three weeks for the Memphis Grizzlies, who have lost seven of their last eight games while playing through injuries.
The Grizzlies lost Steven Adams to a sprained PCL for at least a month after a West Coast swing to close out January. They also played without Desmond Bane (knee) and John Konchar (concussion) for multiple games during the three-week swoon, affecting the team’s playing rotation.
And when the Toronto Raptors visit Memphis on Sunday evening, the Grizzlies will be without starter Dillon Brooks, who was suspended for the game for striking Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell during an altercation in a 128-113 road loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday.
With Adams and Brooks out, a combined 23.9 points, 14.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game will be missing from Memphis’ starting lineup. Adams’ absence leaves the Grizzlies without the best offensive rebounder in the league.
The good news for Memphis entering its matchup with Toronto is the return of a healthy Bane and the outstanding play of Morant, who recently was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team.
Morant is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds, while Bane is averaging 21.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists as the duo comprises one of the best backcourts in the NBA.
Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., a Western Conference All-Star reserve, did not play in the loss to Cleveland due to a thigh bruise that occurred during a 122-112 home loss to Portland on Wednesday. That defeat snapped the Grizzlies eight-game home winning streak.
Jackson (16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds) is expected to return against the Raptors. His presence, especially on defense for Memphis with 3.26 blocks per game, is huge with Adams, and now Brooks, out.
Toronto is coming off a 117-111 road win over the Houston Rockets on Friday behind 32 points from Fred VanFleet, 29 from Gary Trent Jr. and 23 from Pascal Siakam.
Sunday’s game against the Grizzlies will conclude a seven-game road trip for the Raptors, who are 3-3 entering the final stop. They return home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
VanFleet, who had his second career triple-double in a 131-128 loss against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, has scored 24 points or more in his last three games. He’s averaging 19.8 points and 6.5 assists this season.
Trent is averaging 18.9 points and is the team-leader in steals (78). Siakam is the Raptors leading scorer (24.8 points) and is hot on the heels of VanFleet for the team lead in assists per game (6.2).
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland was among the notable snubs when the All-Star reserves were announced earlier this week, but he quickly moved on to more important matters.
Garland remains laser-focused on Cleveland’s playoff push, which continues Sunday against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
The fourth-year pro appeared to have a strong case for the All-Star team, averaging 22.0 points and 8.2 assists for the Cavaliers, who lead the league in defensive rating (109.7).
Garland tallied 32 points and 11 assists in Cleveland’s 128-113 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
The game was marked by an altercation in the third quarter after Memphis forward Dillon Brooks swung his hand up and hit Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell in the groin. Brooks was suspended for one game and Mitchell was fined $20,000 for throwing the ball at Brooks and pushing him.
Garland said after the game that the tussle offered a good reminder of the Cavaliers’ identity.
The Cavaliers will look to win two straight for the first time since early January when they visit Indiana.
The Pacers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 107-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Buddy Hield made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points, Aaron Nesmith added 17 points, and Myles Turner had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was encouraged by his team’s defensive effort after causing 19 turnovers and holding Sacramento to 43.0 percent shooting.
Indiana split its first two games against Cleveland this season, including a 135-126 victory on Dec. 29. Tyrese Haliburton and Hield combined for 11 3-pointers and 54 points in the win.
The Pacers’ frontcourt received a boost earlier this week with the season debut of center Daniel Theis, who was out while recovering from right knee surgery.
Playing in his second game of the season, Theis had eight points and four rebounds in 15 minutes against Sacramento.
While the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets haven’t been overly successful, they sure tend to be feisty.
Now, they’ll face each other Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C.
The Magic won 127-120 on Friday night at Minnesota in a game that was marred by a third-quarter brawl. Mo Bamba and Jalen Suggs of the Magic were among the players ejected.
Fortunately for Orlando, Cole Anthony came through with a big effort off the bench to help seal the victory against the Timberwolves. The guard had a team-high 20 points and also led the Magic with eight rebounds and six assists.
Energy has come from various sources when the Magic have been successful.
Orlando reserves racked up 72 points Friday night.
The Hornets have lost three in a row and five of their past seven. Charlotte looks too one-dimensional in certain stretches.
The Hornets lost on back-to-back nights, falling at Chicago on Thursday and Detroit on Friday. Both games came with major frustrations.
Point guard LaMelo Ball was ejected because of a pair of technical fouls late in the Chicago game Thursday night. It marked his first career ejection.
Late turnovers were problematic for Charlotte in the 118-112 setback Friday night at Detroit.
“Five turnovers in one quarter, it’s going to be hard to win,” Clifford said. “We missed five free throws in a quarter. That’s going to be hard to overcome and we were 1-of-7 from 3.”
A 15-2 edge for the Hornets in fast-break scoring against the Pistons was offset by offensive malfunctions in other areas.
Hornets guard Terry Rozier has scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games.
In a late October game, Orlando picked up its first victory of the season after five losses by defeating the visiting Hornets 113-93. Charlotte won a rematch, 112-105 on Nov. 14 at Orlando.
In those two matchups, the Hornets didn’t have a player reach the 20-point mark. Gordon Hayward was the team’s top scorer in the first game and Mason Plumlee led the scoring in the second meeting. In each case, those players scored 18 points.
This marks the first visit of the season for the Magic to Charlotte. Clifford is a former Orlando head coach.
For Charlotte, Sunday’s game will be the only home appearance during a six-game stretch.
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has re-signed forwards Bridget Carleton, Damiris Dantas, Nikolina Milić and guard Lindsay Allen. Additionally, the Lynx announced the signing of guard Tiffany Mitchell. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not released.
Carleton, 25, averaged 4.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.8 minutes per game for the Lynx during the 2022 season. She concluded her fourth WNBA season as one of three Lynx players to appear in all 36 games (Rachel Banham, Jessica Shepard) and the only player for Minnesota to appear in every game during the last two seasons combined. The Chatham, Ontario native shot 40.0% from the floor, ranked sixth on Minnesota for three-point field goal percentage at 34.9% and hit 73.1% from the free-throw line. She connected on one or more threes in nine consecutive games, shooting 44.4% (12-for-27) from long distance in that stretch.
Dantas, 6-3, was selected by the Lynx in the first round (12th overall) of the 2012 WNBA Draft and became only the third rookie in the past decade (joining Monica Wright and Maya Moore) to earn an Opening Night starting assignment for the Lynx. In that contest (an 89-77 victory on May 16 at Washington), she became the second player in league history to collect 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in her WNBA debut (Candace Parker, 2008). Last season, Dantas saw action in 15 games (all starts) for Minnesota, averaging 5.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.4 minutes per game. Dantas posted a season-high 15 points, connecting on 6-of-9 from the field on June 23 against Phoenix.
Milić, 6-3, spent her rookie season with Minnesota on May 6 on a hardship exception contract, then released on June 23 and signed to a seven-day contract on June 26. She was re-signed to a second seven-day contract on July 3 and a third seven-day contract on July 11. Then on July 18, was signed to a rest of season contract but was released on August 10, 2022. The 28-year-old appeared in 31 contests (four starts) where she averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 11.7 minutes per game. In her best game of the season, Milić registered 23 points, on 11-of-19 shooting, six rebounds and three assists in 30:24 minutes off the bench against the Indiana Fever on June 12.
Allen, a 5-8 guard, was originally signed by the Lynx on July 21, 2022 to a seven-day contract, was then signed to her second seven-day contract on July 28 and on August 5, signed to her third seven-day contract. The 27-year-old appeared in the final nine games for Minnesota in 2022, where she averaged 6.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. She registered a career-high 26 points, connecting on 6-of-7 (85.7%) from three-point range in the Lynx final game of the season at Connecticut.
Mitchell, 5-9, averaged 6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.2 minutes per game for the Indiana Fever during last season. Appearing in all 34 games (eight starts) for Indiana during 2022, Mitchell had the fourth-best field goal percentage at 45.1% and third-best three-point percentage at 38.7% on the team. Mitchell’s best performance of last season was when she tallied 22 points, connecting on 9-of-13 from the field (69.2%), grabbing four rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes of action on July 19 at Los Angeles.
The Sacramento State women’s basketball team looks to wrap up its longest stretch of road games this season with a victory on Saturday (Feb. 4), heading to Moscow, Idaho, looking to sweep the regular season series from the University of Idaho. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
IN THE RANKINGS: After two weeks ranked among the top 25 in the College Insider mid-Major poll, Sacramento State slipped back into the ranks of those receiving votes for the third consecutive week (https://collegeinsider.com/womens-mid-major-top-25), picking up 16 votes… The Hornets made their debut in the top 25 back on Jan. 3 at No. 24, then jumped two spots to No. 22 in the Jan. 10 ranking… Those two rankings followed five consecutive weeks among those receiving votes beginning on Dec. 1… The No. 22 ranking on Jan. 10 was the highest for the program in the poll since they stood No. 22 on Feb. 11, 2014 — a season that saw them among the top 25 for eight consecutive weeks following an 8-1 start that year, reaching as high as No. 13 in early January.
NATABOU MAKES MID-MAJOR AWARD MIDSEASON CUT: Initially named as one of 25 players to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats back on Oct. 19, junior center Isnelle Natabou got word that she has made the midseason top-15 cut on Jan. 18. The first Big Sky Conference student-athlete ever to be named to the list for this particular award, Natabou is one of only four from the West Coast named to the list along with Gonzaga’s duo of Brynna Maxwell and Yvonne Ejim as well as Portland’s Alex Fowler. Read the complete release on HornetSports.com.
NATABOU NAMED TO BIG SKY’S PRESEASON TEAM: In addition to her national honor, Natabou was also named to the seven-member preseason all-conference team, joining Montana State’s Darian White (who was selected the MVP), Idaho’s Beyonce Bea, Montana’s Carmen Gfeller, Northern Colorado’s Hannah Simental, Montana State’s Kola Bad Bear, and Weber State’s Daryn Hickock. The native of the Czech Republic became only the third Hornet to earn preseason all-league honors in the process, joining former standouts Kennedy Nicholas (2019-20) and Brianna Burgos (2016-17).
BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE!: The accolades continued to roll in for Natabou, who was also named the Big Sky’s Preseason Player of the Year according to ESPN.com, which made its picks for all 32 Division I conferences on Oct. 25.
ABOUT THE VANDALS: Idaho enters Saturday’s game having won three straight contests after dropping six consecutive games that began with a loss to Sacramento State back on Jan. 5… The Vandals are 9-13 overall and 5-6 in league play following a 77-70 win over Portland State on Thursday… This marks only the seventh home game of the year for Idaho, which is 4-2 at ICCU Arena… Senior Beyonce Bea leads the team in scoring (21.6 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg), and field goal percentage (.470), while shooting 82 percent from the line (132-for-162)… Junior guard Sydney Gandy is the only other Vandal in double figures (10.7 ppg), while freshman Rosa Smith, who torched the Hornets for a career-high 30 points in the first meeting between the two teams, averages 8.9 ppg and leads Idaho with 59 assists.
SERIES NOTES: Idaho leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 16-6 count, but the Hornets have won two of the last three meetings following a 71-56 win at The Nest earlier this year… Sacramento State has swept the regular season series from the Vandals only once in the history of the series, taking both meetings in the 2014-15 season… The Hornets are just 1-10 all time in Moscow, Idaho, last winning on the road against the Vandals on Jan. 15, 2015 by the score of 107-89… Since then, Sacramento State has lost its last seven trips to Idaho’s home floor… The 15-point win earlier this year is tied for the second-highest in the history of the series by Sacramento State, matching the 79-64 win over the Vandals in the first meeting in 2018 and trailing only the 18-point win in the first meeting in 2015.
Nevada women’s basketball looks to rebound on Saturday at Utah State at 1 p.m.
Larry Burnett will have the call on 94.1 FM/1450 AM with a 20 minute pregame show prior to tipoff. Fans can also listen live online through the Varsity Network. The game will be available to watch on the Mountain West Network and live stats can be accessed through Sidearm.
The Pack has multiple players who passed the 500 career point mark. Junior forward Lexie Givens surpassed the 500 career point mark on Jan. 21 against Fresno State. Sophomore guard Audrey Roden eclipsed the 500 career point mark on Feb. 2 against Boise State. She is just the the third sophomore under head coach Amanda Levens to score 500 points at Nevada by their sophomore year.
Nevada has had one fourth of its roster have at least one career 20-point outing. Megan Ormiston has registered a career-high 26 points on two occasions, most recently on Jan. 21 against Fresno State. Roden scored 20 points on Jan. 21 against Fresno State, 22 points on Feb. 2 against Boise State while dropping a career-high 27 points on Dec. 3 against Idaho, hitting the game-tying 3-pointer. Junior guard Victoria Davis is coming off a career-high 23 points at San Jose State on Jan. 26.
Nevada is 5-1 this season when it holds its opponents to under 60 points. The Pack held San Jose State to 47 points on Dec. 29, the lowest point total by a Nevada opponent in a conference opener since the Pack joined a league in the NCAA Era. They held Utah State to just 20.9 percent shooting on Jan. 14, the lowest percentage held by Nevada in a Mountain West game since the Pack joined the conference in 2012-13.
SCOUTING UTAH STATE The Pack are looking to come out on Saturday with their first win in Logan, Utah, since Jan. 11, 2014. Utah State, meanwhile, is looking for their first win since Jan. 16 and first win on its home floor since Dec. 3, 2022. The Aggies score 60.3 points per game while grabbing 35.5 rebounds per game.
Maria Carvalho leads Utah State with 10.8 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Tamiah Robinson adds production with 8.9 points per game to go with 4.5 rebounds per game. Mayson Kimball can provide a spark, averaging 8.1 points per game in 19 games this season.
The USC Trojans (16-6, 8-3) will host the Washington Huskies (13-11, 5-8) at the Galen Center on Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The game will air on FS1 with Alex Faust and Casey Jacobsen calling the action. USC great Sam Clancy will join Jordan Moore on the call of tonight’s game on flagship station KABC Radio 790 AM. Clancy still ranks in USC’s all-time top 5 in scoring, rebounding and blocks and was a second-team All-America selection in 2002.
USC’S STELLAR STRETCH — USC won a school-record 73 games over the last three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for wins in three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three consecutive seasons of 20+ wins also equals the school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons set from 2016-18.
WINNING WAYS — USC’s 73 total wins the previous three seasons tied for the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Also, USC’s 160 wins the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.
ENFIELD LEADING THE WAY — USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 10th season at USC and has compiled an 199-124 record. His wins total ranks fourth on USC’s all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Including his two seasons as the head coach at FGCU (2012-13), Enfield has compiled a 240-152 record.
FACING WASHINGTON — The Washington Huskies (13-11, 5-8) are coming off a 70-61 loss at UCLA on Feb. 2. Forward Keion Brooks Jr. leads Washington in scoring with an 18.1 points per game average. USC won 80-67 at Washington on Dec. 30 and has won the last six meetings with the Huskies. USC leads the all-time series 78-75* (2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 79-75).
OREGON ON DECK — USC’s next game will be at the Oregon Ducks (13-10, 7-5) on Feb. 9 at 8:00 p.m. Oregon will play at Arizona State on Feb. 4 before returing home, where they are 10-4. Oregon is coming of a 91-76 loss at Arizona on Feb. 2. Senior guard Will Richardson leads the Ducks in scoring with a 14.0 average. USC and Oregon split the season series last year with both teams winning on the other’s court, USC winning 70-69 at Oregon and Oregon winning 79-70 at USC. The Trojans have won 7 of the last 10 meetings with Oregon. USC lead the all-time series with Oregon 67-59* (2 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 69-59).
CAN WE SLIDE THE START TIME? — USC is 11-0 this season when the tip is set for 7 p.m. PT or later.
IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE — USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since holding Stanford to a 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC allowed Washington State to make a 2022-23 opponent high 49.1 percent of its shots on Jan. 1, but has held 6 of its last 10 opponents to under 40 percent shooting. USC has held 13 of its 22 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.7 shooting percentage this season, 7th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
THE TOP STACK IN THE PAC — USC is third in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season). USC is 68-37, Arizona is 70-36, while UCLA is 69-35 in that stretch, through games of Feb. 2. Next up would be Oregon at 65-39 and Colorado at 59-48.
ENJOYING THE HOME COOKING — USC is 11-1 at the Galen Center this season, losing the opener to FGCU on Nov. 7, then winning the next 11 games. The 11-game home winning streak is USC’s longest single-season home winning streak since the Trojans won the first 15 games at the Galen Center in the 2015-16 season.
USC HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY — USC has 123 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 52 blocks. USC is averaging 5.6 blocks per game, 10th in the country. Morgan’s 52 blocks this season lead the conference and rank tied for 11th in the country. Morgan had 7 blocks vs. FGCU on Nov. 7 which tied him for fifth on USC’s all-time single game blocks list. He matched that total with 7 blocks at Cal on Nov. 30. USC as a team has registered 594 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 7th nationally.
PETERSON PROVIDING THE ASSIST — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is sixth among Pac-12 players with 101 assists. Peterson is one of two players in a Power 6 conference (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — USC made 47.4 percent of its 3-pointers vs. Washington State on Feb. 2, its eighth game this season making at least 38 percent from 3-point range. In those eight games USC has made 45.5 percent of its 3-pointers (75-for-165), while it has averaged 24.6 percent from beyond the arc in the other 14 games (56-for-228).
THE MEN OF STEAL — Kobe Johnson (46), Boggie Ellis (36) and Drew Peterson (26) have combined for 108 steals this season, the second most by a Pac-12 trio. Johnson ranks second among Pac-12 players, Ellis is fifth and Peterson ranks 13th.
ELLIS COOKING AGAIN – Senior guard Boogie Ellis has averaged 19.1 points the last 11 games, including scoring a career-high 31 points vs. UCLA on Jan. 26. He began his streak by scoring a then career-best 28 points vs. Auburn on Dec. 18. He scored in double figures in USC’s first 7 games, then totaled 29 points in the next four games, before his current onslaught. Ellis leads USC with a 16.6 scoring average and leads the team with 50 three-pointers made and 71 free throws made. He is also second among Trojans with 36 steals.
The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team will look for its fourth consecutive road win on Saturday, Feb. 4, as the Huskies travel to Bowling Green. Game time against the Falcons is slated for 4 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3, along with 94-9 WDKB and The Varsity Network app.
NIU is coming off a 73-59 victory at Western Michigan on Tuesday night (Jan. 31). Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill.) scored a team-high 15 points as the Huskies won their fourth game in the last five and hit the halfway point in Mid-American Conference play with a 5-4 league mark, good for fifth in the conference standings.
The victory at Western Michigan was NIU’s fifth road win overall this season, tied for the most in the MAC with Ball State, Kent State and Toledo. David Coit (Columbus, N.J.) and Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J.) each scored 13 points in the win, with Coit also grabbing a career-best eight rebounds.
Coit is currently ranked 11th in the league in scoring at 15.7 points per game but is averaging 19.9 points per contest in the last seven games, a stretch in which the Huskies have gone 5-2.
Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio) had nine points and a career-best eight rebounds in Tuesday’s win at Western Michigan. Hunter is one of three Huskies that rank in the top-20 in the MAC in three-point shooting. Thornton is third at 44.3 percent, Hunter is ninth at 41 percent and Coit is 17th at 37.5 percent.
The Falcons come into Saturday’s contest with a 10-12 overall record, including a 4-5 mark in league play, tied for sixth in the standings with Buffalo. Bowling Green is coming off a 69-60 setback against Ball State on Tuesday night (Jan. 31).
Four players score in double figures for Bowling Green, led by 18.5 points per game from Leon Ayers III, fourth-best in the MAC. Bowling Green ranks second in the MAC, and 33rd nationally, with 13.4 fastbreak points per game. The Falcons also rank second in the league, and 39th in the country, shooting 75.2 percent from the free-throw line.
* EliasPettersson, BrockNelson and Andrei Svechnikov left 2023 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook as winners of the three signature events.
* ConnorHellebuyck, JuuseSaros, NickSuzuki, CaleMakar and MikkoRantanen also won events staged on the ice, at the golf course and in the dunk tank.
* After teaming up for a memorable moment with Sergei “Ovi Jr.” Ovechkin to win the Great Clips NHL Breakaway Challenge, longtime rivals AlexOvechkin and SidneyCrosby will join forces again when they play in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game at 3 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS).
PETTERSSON BECOMES FOURTH FORWARD TO WIN HARDEST SHOT EVENT Canucks forward Elias Pettersson became the fourth forward to win the Hardest Shot event after clocking a 103.2 mph shot to win the GEICO NHL Hardest Shot competition. Participating in the event for the second time, Pettersson (also 2020) became the first Vancouver player to capture the title.
* Pettersson joined AlexOvechkin (101.3 mph in 2018), Sergei Fedorov (101.5 mph in 2002) and Fredrik Modin (102.1 mph in 2001) as the only forwards to win the event. He did so by defeating Ovechkin, who made his sixth Hardest Shot appearance to move ahead of JohnLeClair (5x) and StevenStamkos (5x) for the most by any forward.
* Pettersson’s winning shot of 103.2 mph followed his opening blast of 100.8 mph. It marked the 14th straight Hardest Shot competition in which the winner reached a top speed of over 100 miles per hour.
NELSON CLAIMS ACCURACY SHOOTING TITLE FOLLOWING RIVALRY-FILLED SEMIFINALS
In the largest Accuracy Shooting field since 2011, four players emerged from the preliminary round to set up a pair of rivalry matchups in the head-to-head semifinals. In the first semifinal, Islanders forward BrockNelson (17.886 seconds) defeated Rangers forward ArtemiPanarin (DNF) in a “Battle of New York,” followed shortly thereafter by Flames forward NazemKadri (10.131 seconds) edging Oilers captain ConnorMcDavid (10.612 seconds) in a “Battle of Alberta” showdown.
* Nelson and Kadri then went toe-to-toe in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting final, which Nelson won with a time of 12.419 seconds to Kadri’s 18.276 seconds. Taking in All-Star festivities for the first time, Nelson became the second Islanders player to win the Accuracy Shooting event, following JohnTavares (2016).
* The preliminary round featured surprise appearances by three-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the Flames’ hockey operations group RebeccaJohnston, who passed to Kadri, and fellow Olympic gold medalist SarahNurse, cousin of McDavid’s teammate DarnellNurse.
* Nurse was dishing out passes to McDavid when he became the sixth different player to clock a sub 10-second time at the Accuracy Shooting event during NHL All-Star Skills.
SVECHNIKOV EDGES FIALA IN FASTEST SKATER FINAL
There was a new fastest skater champion for a fourth straight year as Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov posted a time of 13.699 seconds in the final of the Upper Deck NHL Fastest Skater event to defeat Kings forward Kevin Fiala (14.114 seconds).
* Svechnikov and Fiala, who replaced Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov in the event, qualified for the final with top-two times of 13.757 and 13.997 seconds, respectively.
* Svechnikov became the second Hurricanes/Whalers player to win the Fastest Skater event, following Sami Kapanen who won in both 2000 and 2002 while representing Carolina.
* In addition to the Hurricanes (3x), only two other clubs have had a representative win Fastest Skater three or more times – an Oilers player has won five times and a Red Wings player has won three.
SUZUKI, AVALANCHE DUO CLAIM INAUGURAL PITCH ‘N PUCK, SPLASH SHOT EVENTS Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and Avalanche teammates CaleMakar and Mikko Rantanen claimed victory in the Chipotle NHL Pitch ‘n Puck and Enterprise NHL Splash Shot, two South Florida-inspired events that debuted Friday.
* Teeing up a special puck from 140 yards out at an iconic Sunshine State golf hole, Suzuki hit the longest drive and followed up with a “pitch” over the water onto the green, where he putted in for birdie on the par-4 Pitch ‘n Puck. Suzuki defeated JohnnyGaudreau (CBJ), Clayton Keller (ARI) and Jason Robertson (DAL) who all logged a DNF as they were setting up for their fourth shot.
* Firing at surf boards lined up on the picturesque beach of Fort Lauderdale, Rantanen first dunked SidneyCrosby before Nathan MacKinnon, his Colorado teammate, was able to soak Makar. In the other preliminary matchup, Adam Fox protected his Rangers teammate Igor Shesterkin by splashing Florida favorite Matthew Tkachuk who was relying on his brother Brady Tkachuk to keep him dry. Makar and Rantanen changed roles in the final, where the Stanley Cup champions dunked their way to another title.
TANDEM TENDY, BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE EVENTS PRODUCE MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The 27th NHL All-Star Skills competition featured many other memorable moments and guest appearances, as well as the debut of the Discover NHL Tendy Tandem – which was won by Central Division netminders Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros thanks to a combined score of 13.
* The Tendy Tandem event included guest appearances by Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, EmilyClark, Rebecca Johnston and Sarah Nurse, who netted a highlight-reel goal against reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.
* After making his way “from the beach” with brother Brady, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk also called on the services of teammate Aleksander Barkov, dressed as a lifeguard, and Miami Dolphins player Christian Wilkins, before beating Hockey Hall of Famer RobertoLuongo during his Great Clips NHL Breakaway Challenge attempt.
2023 HONDA NHL ALL-STAR GAME TAKES CENTER STAGE ON SATURDAY The brightest stars from around the League, including nine of the top 10 scorers this season, will hit the ice for the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Saturday which will once again see the 3-on-3 tournament format, the same used in each of the past six All-Star Games. The Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the opening match, followed by the Metropolitan Division versus the Atlantic Division, with the two winners meeting in the final.
* The Pacific Division (2016, 2018 & 2020) and Metropolitan Division (2017, 2019 & 2022) have gone back-and-forth in winning the 3-on-3 tournament format in the six years of its existence. The Atlantic Division, which includes hometown Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, will look to be the first host division to claim the 3-on-3 title.
* The Pacific Division holds an all-time record of 4-1 when facing the Central Division under the 3-on-3 format. Connor McDavid, who enters the 2023 All-Star Game with a 16-point lead on teammate Leon Draisaitl in the Art Ross Trophy race, has more career points under the 3-on-3 All-Star format than any other player (2-11—13 in 8 GP), just one point ahead of two skaters also participating Saturday: Sidney Crosby (6-6—12 in 5 GP) and Johnny Gaudreau (5-7—12 in 8 GP).
* CLICK HERE to view Records.NHL.com for lists of the top All-Star performers under the 3-on-3 format.
* While the Metropolitan Division has claimed the 3-on-3 title three times in six years, the Atlantic Division boasts a 3-2 record when facing their Eastern Conference rivals under the current format. Three of the top eight point producers in 2022-23 will represent the Atlantic Division in David Pastrnak (3rd; 38-34—72 in 51 GP), Nikita Kucherov (4th; 19-53—72 in 48 GP), Tkachuk (7th; 25-41—66 in 49 GP). The Atlantic Division will counter with Alex Ovechkin, who sits second on the NHL’s all-time goals list, and Sidney Crosby, who ranks 15th on the NHL’s all-time points list.
The Houston Rockets posted the NBA’s worst record last season, and they have the worst mark again this season.
However, the Rockets have owned the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Over the past two seasons, the Rockets are 5-1 against the Thunder, including a 112-106 victory in Houston on Wednesday. Houston is 28-100 against the rest of the NBA during that span.
The teams square off again on Saturday, this time in Oklahoma City.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off one of his worst shooting performances of the season, as he went 7 of 23 in the loss to Houston. He wound up with 24 points thanks to a 10-of-10 effort at the foul line.
On Thursday, Gilgeous-Alexander was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.
Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his scoring annually throughout his five-season NBA career. He is averaging 30.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the league, and has also turned things up on defense this season, averaging 1.7 steals (tied for fifth in the NBA) and 1.1 blocks — both career highs.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas expects a similar progression from his leading scorer, Jalen Green, who is in his second season.
Green is averaging 21.7 points after putting up 17.3 points per game as a rookie last season. His rebounding and assist numbers are also up.
Green missed the past three games due to a bruised right calf, including Houston’s 117-111 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Silas said the 20-year-old guard has a chance to return for the second night of the back-to-back set.
Kevin Porter Jr. (left foot contusion) remains out for Houston.
The Rockets also might be without Jae’Sean Tate and Eric Gordon, who both played on Friday, with Gordon scoring a team-high 28 points.
Tate has been battling a right ankle injury. Gordon has played both ends of a back-to-back on just two of eight opportunities this season.
The Thunder’s best defender, Luguentz Dort, will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a right hamstring strain.
In the Rockets’ loss to Toronto, Houston was outrebounded for the first time in nine games. The eight-game streak of outrebounding opponents was tied for the franchise’s longest since December 1997.
Houston outrebounded Oklahoma City 65-52 on Wednesday, with each team posting 24 offensive rebounds — the first time both teams reached at least 24 in a regulation game since 2003.
The Rockets are 1-7 on the second night of a back-to-back this season, with the only win coming against the Thunder on Nov. 26. Houston has won the first two of four meetings this season.
The Thunder have dropped four of their past six overall while the Rockets had their two-game winning streak snapped on Friday.
