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MBB-FBS: Utah Valley Wolverines (12-4) at UT-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (8-7)

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• Utah Valley continues WAC road play in the Lone Star State as the team travels to Edinburg to play UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night. Tip-off at UTRGV Fieldhouse is set for 5:30 p.m. (MT)

• Justin Harmon scored a season-high 21 points and Aziz Bandaogo notched a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead Utah Valley to a 72-64 WAC road win over UT Arlington on Thursday night at College Park Center.

• With its 72-64 road win at UT Arlington on Thursday night, Utah Valley extends its win streak to nine games. It is the sixth-longest win streak in the nation. The win streak dates back to an 88-78 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 3. The Wolverines wrapped up the month of December with a perfect 8-0 record. The nine straight wins is the third-longest win streak in program history.

• Le’Tre Darthard knocked down his 100th career three-pointer on Thursday night at UT Arlington. He now ranks ninth all-time at UVU with 101 made threes.

• Utah Valley’s 80-64 win over Sam Houston last week was the team’s highest-rated win of the season as the Bearkats held an NCAA NET rating of No. 20 at the time. Utah Valley has also defeated two other top-100 NET rated teams in Oregon (72) and BYU (93).

• With its 77-72 win at Oregon on Dec. 20, Utah Valley became one of four WAC teams to pick up a win over a team from a Power 5 Conference. Utah Valley (Oregon) joins Sam Houston (Oklahoma, Utah), California Baptist (Washington), and Tarleton (Boston College)
to pick up wins over teams from a Power 5 league.

• Utah Valley is one of the top blocking teams in the nation as the squad ranks second in the country in blocks per game at 6.5.

• Aziz Bandaogo ranks in the top-20 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks fourth in blocks (44), fifth in blocks per game (2.75), seventh in rebounds (159), ninth in double doubles (7), 13th in defensive rebounds per game (7.12), and 15th in rebounds per game
(9.9).

• Mark Madsen enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Wolverines. The two-time NBA champion, former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, and former Stanford basketball star led his team to its first 20-win season since 2018. He also guided the Wolverines to just its second WAC regular season title in 2010–the team’s first championship since 2014. He is just the third head coach in UVU’s Division I history. He was a two-time NBA champion as a player with the Lakers (2001 and 2002), and played for the Minnesota Timberwolves for six seasons.

ABOUT UTRGV
UT Rio Grande Valley enters Saturday’s game against UVU with an 8-7 overall record and a 0-3 mark in WAC play. After concluding non-conference play with a 100-90 win over Houston Christian on Dec. 18, UTRGV has dropped three straight to open league play, including a heartbreaking 66-64 setback at home to Seattle U on Thursday night. Senior forward Justin Johnson led the Vaqueros with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. Graduate center Dima Zdor scored 13 points, while junior forward Daylen Williams recorded a double-double with career-high 12 points and a career-best 15 points. Johnson leads the team in scoring this season at 20.1 points a game, followed by sophomore guard Will Johnston at 16.8 points a contest. Williams leads the team on the boards, pulling
down 6.1 rebounds per game. The Vaqueros shoot a lot of free throws. The team ranks third in the nation in free throw attempts at 26.3 a game. Justin Johnson is third in the nation in free throw attempts with 121 and is 15th in nationally with 77 made free throws. UTRGV also ranks 10th in free throws made per game at 18.2 a contest. The Vaqueros also scored a lot of points, ranking 21st in the country at 81.9 points a game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE VAQUEROS
Utah Valley and UTRGV will meet for just the 34th time on the basketball hardwood on Saturday. The Wolverines hold an all-time 29-4 advantage in the series. UVU has won three straight over the Vaqueros, but all have come in Orem. The Wolverines dropped an 80-72 decision to UTRGV the last time the two teams played in Edinburg on Feb. 13, 2020. UVU holds an all-time 11-3 record against UTRGV in Edinburg.

Last 10 Results vs. UTRGV (29-4)
Jan. 20, 2022 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 66-56 Orem, Utah
Feb. 27, 2021 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 73-64 Orem, Utah
Feb. 26, 2021 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 78-74 Orem, Utah
Feb. 13, 2020 UTRGV def. Utah Valley, 80-72 Edinburg, Texas
Jan. 18, 2020 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 72-70 Orem, Utah
Feb. 16, 2019 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 76-64 Edinburg, Texas
Jan. 17, 2019 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 82-61 Orem, Utah
Feb. 17, 2018 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 84-72 Orem, Utah
Jan. 18, 2018 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 84-76 Edinburg, Texas
Feb. 25, 2017 Utah Valley def. UTRGV, 88-68 Edinburg, Texas

MBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (13-3) at San Jose State Spartans (11-5)

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MBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (13-3) at San Jose State Spartans (11-5)

RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada Men’s Basketball team will hit the road this weekend, traveling to face San Jose Staté, as the Pack will look to remain unbeaten in conference play and earn their sixth consecutive victory. 

The Pack have claimed victory in five consecutive games, most recently taking down Colorado State 80-69 this past Wednesday night.

Nevada had an exceptional outing on the offensive end of the floor, finishing the contest with outstanding clips of 57.8 percent from the field, 35 percent from behind the arc, and 91.3 percent at the free throw line. 

Nevada had five different players reach double-figures in scoring, led by Will Baker and Jarod Lucas, as the duo dropped 16 points apiece in the contest.

Baker had another sensational night on offense for the Pack, reaching 16 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, and 4-4 at the free throw line, in addition to pulling down six rebounds in the contest. Over the Pack’s past four games, Baker is now averaging 17.0 points per game on 73.5 percent shooting from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range, and 94 percent at the free throw line, while also pulling down 6.0 rebounds per game. Baker has amassed 68 points over the stretch, which marks the most points he has scored over a four-game stretch throughout his career. After hitting all four of his free throw attempts against Colorado State, he now leads the Mountain West in free throw percentage this season, as the redshirt-junior is knocking down 88.7 percent of his attempts this year.

Lucas scored 16 points on 5-11 shooting from the field, 2-7 from behind the arc, and 4-5 at the free throw line against Colorado State. The senior guard also managed to set a new season-high and match his previous career-high by dishing out four assists in the contest. Lucas continues to lead the conference in total scoring this season (277 points), and he ranks second overall in points per game (17.3 PPG). Lucas also ranks second in made 3-point field goals (45), and third in both free throw percentage (87.4%) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.8%). Lucas has reached double figures in scoring in 15 out of Nevada’s 16 games, including 14 straight contests. He has also made multiple 3-pointers in 14 games, including three or more 3-pointers in nine contests.

Kenan Blackshear had a stellar outing in the Pack’s win over Colorado State, scoring 15 points on 6-10 shooting from the field and 2-2 at the free throw line, in addition to dishing out three assists and tallying two steals. Blackshear ranks in the top-15 of the Mountain West in a plethora of statistical categories. He is currently first in total assists (78), second in assists per game (4.9 APG), eighth in free throw percentage (81.3%), 10th in steals per game (1.3 SPG), 10th in minutes per game (31.6 MPG), and 10th in points per game (14.3 PPG). 

Blackshear has scored in double figures in seven straight games. Over that stretch, he boasts averages of 17.4 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent from behind the arc, and 86.0 percent at the free throw line, as well as 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Blackshear has dished out at least three assists in 15 out of Nevada’s 16 games this season.

Freshman forward Darrion Williams had another strong all-around outing against Colorado State, scoring 10 points, recording two steals, and pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Williams has now led the Pack in rebounding in 10 out of 16 contests this season, and he currently ranks third in the Mountain West in total rebounds (114 rebounds) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.1 RPG). Williams also ranks ninth in the conference in steals per game (1.5 SPG).

Fellow freshman Nick Davidson also had a solid performance for the Pack against Colorado State, scoring 12 points, including 10 in the first half alone. Davidson now ranks fourth on the team in both scoring (7.6 PPG) and rebounding (4.8 RPG). 

Junior forward Tre Coleman continued his exceptional play on the defensive end of the floor against Colorado State, tallying two steals and finishing the contest with a game-high plus/minus of +18 in 35 minutes of action.

As a team, Nevada ranks at the top of the nation in free throw percentage this year, as they have been immaculate at the line. They are currently knocking down 79.9 percent of their attempts this season, marking the seventh-best percentage in the country. The Pack are also second in made free throws (303) and 13th in free throw attempts (379).

Nevada has continued to excel on the defensive end of the court this season, as they currently rank third in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (40.0%), fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (32.2%), fifth in defensive rebounding (27.1), and fifth in turnovers forced (201).

Nevada is 9-0 this season when outrebounding their opponent, and rebounding could prove to be a key factor in Saturday’s contest, as they face a San José State team that ranks second in the Mountain West and 47th in the country in rebounds per game (39.1 RPG). The Pack will need to have one of their best rebounding efforts of the season combined with another strong offensive showing if they hope to take down the Spartans and move to 4-0 in conference play. 

Scouting San José State

The Spartans enter Saturday’s contest with an impressive overall record of 11-5, including a mark of 2-1 in conference play. 

San José State opened up Mountain West play with an overtime victory over UNLV and a 78-70 win over Colorado State before falling by three points to Boise State.

The Spartans have done an excellent job of rebounding the ball this season, particularly on the offensive glass, as they rank second in the Mountain West in offensive rebounding, pulling down 11.1 per game. 

SJSU has also been solid on defense this season, as they rank second in the league in opponent field goal percentage, limiting opposing teams to just 39.9 percent shooting from the field. 

Offensively, the Spartans have struggled at times this season, as they currently rank ninth in the conference in scoring, putting up 69.4 points per game; but, they have been fairly efficient on that end of the floor, as they rank fifth in field goal percentage (45.8%). 

Individually, the Spartans have been led by junior guard Omari Moore. Moore is currently averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three, while also dishing out a team-high 4.9 steals per game. 

Outside of Moore, San José State has seven different players that are averaging between 5.6 points per game and 9.9 points per contest, as they have a multitude of offensive weapons. 

Senior forward Sage Tolbert III has been impressive in the paint all season for the Spartans, as the 6-8 big man leads the Mountain West in rebounds per game (8.1 RPG), while also averaging 9.6 points per game on 54.2 percent shooting from the field and 44.8 percent from behind the arc. 

Nevada will need to limit Moore’s production and keep Tolbert III and the rest of the Spartans off the offensive glass to secure the road conference victory.

Series History

Nevada and San José State have faced off 40 times throughout history, with the Pack holding a 34-6 advantage in the all-time series. Nevada is currently on a three-game win streak against the Spartans, and they claimed a 90-60 victory the last time the two teams faced in February of last year. 

NHL Preview: New York Rangers (22-12-6) at New Jersey Devils (24-12-3)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: New York Rangers (22-12-6) at New Jersey Devils (24-12-3)

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
New York Rangers 4, Montreal Canadiens 1 – January 5, 2023 – Bell Centre
NYR Goals: C. Kreider (18), B. Schneider (5), F. Chytil (10, 11)
MTL Goals: J. Armia (1)
NYR Goalie: J. Halak (W -17/18)
MTL Goalie: J. Allen (L – 27/30)
NYR Shots: 31
MTL Shots: 18
NYR PP: 1/3
NYR PK: 2/2
RECAP/NOTES: Backed by a three-goal second period, the Rangers went into Montreal and came away with a 4-1 victory. Chris Kreider started the scoring with a shorthanded tally, followed up goals from Filip Chytil and Braden Schneider less than a minute apart. The Rangers allowed 18 shots in the win, tying their season-low as Jaroslav Halak won his third-straight start.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers reach the midway point of the season when they face the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon (1:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network/NHLN – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
  • The Blueshirts have won three in a row, have points in four in a row (3-0-1) and are 4-1-1 in their last six games. New York has points in 12 of its last 14 games (11-2-1) and is 11-3-2 in its last 16 games. Since November 30, the Rangers rank tied for second in wins (12) and tied for third in goals (61).
  • On the road, the Rangers have earned a point in seven of their last eight contests (6-1-1) and 14 of their last 17 games (12-3-2) away from home. The Blueshirts’ 84.6% penalty kill percentage on the road ranks second in the league. New York’s 28 road points this season are the fourth most in the NHL.
  • New York has scored four or more goals in three-straight games and on the year is 15-0-0 when scoring four or more goals in a game. Only two other teams (VGK, ARI) are undefeated this season when scoring 4+ goals.
  • The Rangers have scored five or more goals five times in their last nine games and 12 times this season. Its 12 occurrences with five goals are tied for the second most in the NHL.
  • New York ranks third in the NHL in third period goals (53) and fourth in third-period goal differential (+16).
  • On Thursday, the NHL announced that Igor Shesterkin was selected to participate in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. He is the seventh goaltender in team history to earn the honors. Rangers fans can vote for remaining All-Stars on NHL.com/Vote
  • The Blueshirts will play their third “afternoon” game of the season today (note: any game starting before 5 p.m. local is considered an “afternoon” or “matinee” game). Thus far, the team is 1-1-0 in these games. Last year, the club went 7-2-0 in matinee contests.
  • New York has won 10 of its last 12 games against the Devils dating to March 4, 2021. The Rangers have won six of their last seven games at the Prudential Center dating back to Nov. 30, 2019.
  • The Rangers defensemen group has collected 99 points, the second most in the NHL. New York’s 79 assists by defensemen are the tied for the second most in the league.

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Jan. 10/7:00 PM Minnesota/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 12/7:00 PM Dallas/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 15/5:00 PM Montreal/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 16/7:00 PM Columbus/Nationwide Arena MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 19/7:00 PM Boston/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM

LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Jan. 5 at Montreal W, 4-1
Jan. 3 Carolina W, 5-3
Jan. 1 at Florida W, 5-3
Dec. 29 at Tampa Bay SOL, 2-1
Dec. 27 Washington L, 4-0

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
January 6 – Gustav Rydahl re-assigned to Hartford
January 5 – Gustav Rydahl recalled from Hartford
January 4 – Jimmy Vesey re-signed to two-year contract extension

ALL-TIME RECORD 130-98-27-10 (297 PTS)
2022-23 1-1-0
2021-22 3-1-0
NYR HOME 72-36-20-4 (168 PTS)
NYR AWAY 58-62-7-6 (129 PTS)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS 3-2-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Kreider (19) – A: Panarin (25) – Pts: Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin (36)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Sandstrom (23) – A: Leetch (45) – Pts: Leetch (64)

NEW JERSEY DEVILS NOTES:

LAST GAME
St. Louis Blues 5 New Jersey Devils 3
(19-17-3—41 PTS) (24-12-3—51 PTS)
Three Stars:

Goals:
STL: J. Kyrou, I. Barbashev, B. Saad, R. Thomas, R. Thomas (ENG)
SCORE 1
ST 2
ND 3
RD OT SO FINAL
St. Louis 1 1 3 – – 5
DEVILS 0 2 1 – – 3
New Jersey Devils: Media Notes
NJD: J. Hughes, J. Hughes, N. Hischier (PPG)

INJURIES/ILLNESS
PLAYER INJURY OUT SINCE GAMES MISSED
Jonathan Bernier – LTIR Lower-body, hip 2021-22 39
Nate Bastian I.R. Upper-Body Nov. 27 16
John Marino Upper-body Dec. 21 7
2022-23 Total Man-Games Lost to Injury/illness: 120

DATE PLAYER ACTION
1/1/23 Ryan Graves Activated from I.R.
1/1/23 Tyler Wotherspoon Reassigned to Utica
1/5/23 Tyce Thompson Reassigned to Utica
1/5/23 Akira Schmid Recalled from Utica
1/5/23 Ondrej Palat Activated off I.R.
1/6/23 Akira Schmid Reassigned to Utica

The Devils aim to end an eight-game skid on home ice (0-7-1), which dates to Dec. 9, vs the New York Islanders (6-4, L). The last time the Devils won a game at home was Dec. 6, 2022, in a 3-0 win over Chicago. The eight-game home win-less streak is the team’s longest since 2021-22, which took place from Apr. 2, 2022, to Apr. 29 (0-6-2).

The last time that the Devils suffered a home winless streak longer than eight games was in 2020-21 when the team dropped 11 consecutive contests from Jan. 2, 2021, to March 14 (0-10-1). The longest home winless streak in franchise history dates to the Kansas City Rockies in 1975-76, which was 14 games.

Tonight’s contest marks the team’s last home game before Jersey’s team embarks on a season-long five-game road trip:
1/10 at CAR
1/13 at ANA
1/14 at LAK
1/16 at SJS
1/19 at SEA

WHAT TO KNOW
The NHL announced on Thursday that Jack Hughes was named New Jersey 2023 NHL All-Star. Hughes was a first-time NHL All-Star last season at Vegas. The team announced late in the afternoon on Thursday that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood would be sidelined for Thursday’s contest due to precautionary reasons. Blackwood took a shot off his hand during morning skate in Detroit. Blackwood is back in the lineup for today’s contest vs the Broadway Blueshirts. The Devils are set to wear their adidas Reverse Retro sweaters for the fourth and final time this season (2-1-0). It’s a beautiful day…Jersey’s team is 3-0-1 for matinee games this season and 2-0-1 at home. The Devils are 19-0-1 when leading after the second period this season, which is tied with Boston for first in the NHL as of Jan. 6. The Devils are 16-11-2 when outshooting an opponent this season, while Jersey is 7-1-1 when outshot in a game for the 2022-23 campaign. Jersey’s team experienced its first contest decided in a shootout this season via New Year’s Day vs Carolina, which marked the franchise’s longest stretch from the start of a season without entering a shootout round (36 GP). The second longest stretch was 27 games in 2018-19. Jersey’s team is 22-4-3 when scoring three-or-more goals in a game this season. The Devils have allowed 1, or fewer, goals against 10 times this season in a game. Jersey’s team allowed one, or fewer goals against, in a game just eight times all of last season. The Devils are 14-10-2 vs the Eastern Conference and 6-5-2 vs the Metropolitan Division. Jersey’s team is 20-4-3 when Nico Hischier recorded a point in a game this season and 12-5-2 when Jack Hughes scored a goal in a game for 2022-23.

2022-23 TEAM STATS
RECORD ON DAYS OF THE WEEK
The Devils record on Saturday in 2022-23…6-2-0…at home: 3-2-0…road: 3-0-0
Record in night games in 2022-23…21-12-2…home: 8-10-1…road: 13-2-1
Record in day games in 2022-23…3-0-1…home: 2-0-1…road: 1-0-0

VS BROADWAY
The Devils and Broadway Blueshirts face-off for the third of four meetings this season, while the Rangers defeated Jersey at the Garden in the last matchup in overtime on Dec. 12 (4-3, OT-L).
Next: Mar. 30, vs NYR, 7:00 P.M.
The Devils are 1-0-1 vs Broadway this season. The last time that the Devils won a season series vs New York was 2017-18 (3-1-0).

ALL-TIME vs NY RANGERS
Record: 107-118-27-12
Home: 68-53-7-5
Road: 39-65-20-7

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 7, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 7, 2023

* Defensemen Erik Karlsson and Josh Morrissey both extended their respective streaks Friday and were among a number of players who found the score sheet after earning the honor of participating in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.

* Veteran Eric Staal and teenager Mason McTavish both produced notable performances as the Panthers and Ducks each skated to victories.

* Three of four division leaders are in action on a nine-game Saturday as the Bruins, Hurricanes and Golden Knights take to the ice.
 

ALL-STARS SHINE ALL OVER SCORE SHEETS FRIDAY
A number of players set to skate in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend posted notable performances Friday:
 

* Erik Karlsson, who collected an assist and became the seventh NHL defenseman in the past 30 years with a point streak of at least 14 contests, boosted his 2022-23 totals to13-41—54 (40 GP). His 54 points are the most by a defenseman through 40 games in a season since Al MacInnis (18-37—55) in 1990-91.  




* Nazem Kadri netted the fourth and final Flames tally Friday and boosted his 2022-23 totals to 15-15—30 in 40 games. He became the fourth player since 1993-94 with at least 15 goals through his first 40 games with the franchise. The others: Elias Lindholm (18 in 2018-19), Michael Cammalleri (15 in 2008-09) and German Titov (17 in 1993-94).

* Josh Morrissey recorded his second three-assist outing of the season and moved within one of joining Karlsson as the second defenseman in 2022-23 to record 40 helpers. In the process, he extended his home point streak to 10 games and helped the Jets (25-13-1, 51 points) move within one point of the Central Division-leading Stars (23-11-6, 52 points).




* Seth Jones (0-1—1) found the score sheet for the second time in as many games and boosted his career totals with the Blackhawks to 7-56—63 (106 GP). Since Jones joined Chicago in 2021-22, Patrick Kane (86) is the only skater with more points over that span.
 

* Nikita Kucherov scored in his 600th career game to improve his career totals to 260-411—671. Among active players, only five have recorded more points at the time of the milestone contest: Sidney Crosby (825), Connor McDavid (772), Alex Ovechkin (733), Evgeni Malkin (712) and Leon Draisaitl (676).




NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS HIGHLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured 38-year-old Eric Staal (0-1—1) and 19-year-old Mason McTavish (2-2—4) putting up noteworthy performances as the Panthers (18-18-4, 40 points) and Ducks (12-24-4, 28 points) each skated to victories.

* Staal found the score sheet for the third straight game and boosted his career totals to 447-600—1,047. The NHL veteran of 18 seasons joined Sidney Crosby (917), Patrick Kane (770), Nicklas Backstrom (747), Evgeni Malkin (724), Anze Kopitar (722), Claude Giroux (650) and Alex Ovechkin (649) as the eighth active player to reach the 600-assist milestone.

* McTavish (19 years, 341 days) factored on all three of Anaheim’s game-tying goals and notched another assist on John Klingberg’s tally in overtime to become the second-youngest player in Ducks history to record a four-point game behind Stanislav Chistov (19 years, 176 days) on Oct. 10, 2002 (1-3—4). Overall, he is the second teenager in as many seasons with a four-point game after Lucas Raymond accomplished the feat with the Red Wings on Oct. 24, 2021 (3-1—4).



NHL PODCASTS: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 3): Fantasy waiver wire pickups: Week 13
* NHL @ The Rink (Jan. 4):Jordan Staal joins; Canes… Cup or bust? Thompson, Kings & Copley
* The Chirp w/ Daren Millard (Jan. 4): Tocchet on Bedard, Panther’s concerns, Thompson’s impact
* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 5): Week 13 fantasy mailbag; Eichel’s return, Pacioretty, Add/Drops

QUICK CLICKS

*Matthew Tkachuk in ‘dream spot’ with Panthers, set for All-Star Game with Brady

* Connor Bedard has ‘no limit’ after dominating World Juniors, teammates say

* Matty Beniers loses bet to Jordan Eberle, wears Canada jersey to Kraken practice

* Penguins wear special helmet decals in honor of Kris Letang‘s late father

* 2023 Discover Winter Classic sets new merchandise sales records

DIVISION LEADERS READY FOR A NINE-GAME SATURDAY

Three of four division leaders are in action when the Bruins (30-4-4, 64 points), Hurricanes (25-8-6, 56 points) and Golden Knights (27-12-2, 56 points) take to the ice for a nine-game Saturday around the NHL.
 



* Boston holds a nine-point advantage over Toronto (23-9-7, 53 points), also in action Saturday, thanks in part to an active 12-game point streak dating to Dec. 11 (9-0-3) – outscoring opponents 41 to 26 through that span. Should the Bruins extend their streak and collect at least another point, they would become just the fourth team in NHL history to have four or fewer regulation losses prior to their 40th game of a season; the 1979-80 Flyers (27-2-10), 1943-44 Canadiens (28-4-7) and 1929-30 Bruins (34-4-1) are the only clubs to do so to date.

* Andrei Svechnikov (22 years, 287 days) leads the Hurricanes with 19 goals this season (19-14— 33 in 39 GP) and eyes finishing with the team-lead for the first time in his career after three previous 20-goal campaigns. Should he find the back of the net Saturday, Svechnikov can join Ron Francis (4x w/ HFD), Sylvain Turgeon (4x w/ HFD) and Sebastian Aho (4x w/ CAR) as the fourth player in Hurricanes/Whalers history with four 20-goal seasons before his 23rd birthday.


* Mark Stone and the Golden Knights have won each of their past four games at T-Mobile Arena, with the captain posting 4-6—10 over that span. Stone, whose four consecutive home games with multiple points already stands as the longest in franchise history, can be the third player to extend his stretch to five contests in 2022-23 (also Jason Robertson & Mikko Rantanen w/ 5 GP).

KOPITAR CLOSING IN ON 1,100TH CAREER POINT
Anze Kopitar (376-722—1,098) enters Saturday’s contest against the Golden Knights two points shy of joining Marcel Dionne (550-757—1,307) and Luc Robitaille (557-597—1,154) as the third player to reach the 1,100-point mark with the Kings.

* Kopitar, who leads all players in career goals (tied), assists and points against Vegas (11-19—30 in 27 GP), can become just the fifth active player to collect 1,100 career points.

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers (18-21) at Sacramento Kings (20-17)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers (18-21) at Sacramento Kings (20-17)

The Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to stretch their season-best winning streak to five games when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

Los Angeles has been trying to dig out of an early season 2-10 hole and has yet to reach the .500 mark this season. But the recent run, which includes a 130-114 home victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, has Los Angeles sitting at 18-21.

LeBron James is encouraged after the team’s recent performances, which have come without fellow star Anthony Davis (foot).

James sat out the Lakers’ 112-109 home win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday due to an illness. He returned to have a solid all-around game against the Hawks with 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. The 38-year-old veteran has scored 30 or more points in nine of his past 12 appearances.

Los Angeles has scored 130 points twice during the four-game run and is averaging 123.3 during that span.

Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn, who scored a season-best 23 points in 27 minutes off the bench against Atlanta, will be handling a bigger role in the short term. That’s because the Lakers announced earlier Friday that guards Lonnie Walker IV (knee) and Austin Reaves (hamstring) will miss approximately two weeks apiece.

Los Angeles is 0-2 against Sacramento this season and has dropped the past three meetings.

The Kings are enjoying a solid first half and are in fifth place in the Western Conference as the midway point of the season approaches.

Sacramento dropped the opener of a five-game homestand on Wednesday when it fell 120-117 to the Hawks. The Kings led by four with 1:16 left before the Hawks scored the final seven points.

Big man Domantas Sabonis recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to notch his 15th consecutive double-double, matching the franchise record set by DeMarcus Cousins during the 2013-14 season. Sabonis leads the NBA with 28 doubles-doubles.

Sabonis was one of four Sacramento players to score at least 20 points on Wednesday. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 25, Huerter added 24 and Harrison Barnes scored 22 points.

Kings coach Mike Brown has overseen the impressive turnaround, but he was disappointed in the defensive performance late in the loss to Atlanta.

Kings reserve guard Malik Monk is questionable for Saturday due to left lower leg soreness.

NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (14-25) at Golden State Warriors (20-19)

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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (14-25) at Golden State Warriors (20-19)

The Orlando Magic will attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Detroit Pistons and complete a season-series sweep of the defending-champion Golden State Warriors when the clubs tangle Saturday night in San Francisco.

The Warriors expect Andrew Wiggins to return from a 15-game layoff due to an adductor strain followed by an illness. But even Wiggins’ presence — along with Stephen Curry, who is currently out of the lineup — wasn’t enough to prevent a 130-129 loss at Orlando on Nov. 3.

Seven players scored in double figures for the Magic in the win, led by Jalen Suggs with 26 and rookie Paolo Banchero with 22.

Both teams have endured more than their fair share of absences in the nine weeks since their last meeting, a stretch that included a Magic melee in Detroit that resulted in nine Orlando players earning suspensions.

All nine have served their time, leaving Magic coach Jamahl Mosley now just to worry about Bol Bol’s illness, Suggs’ sore right ankle and the knee rehabs that have sidelined Jonathan Isaac for the season and Chuma Okeke in recent weeks.

The door has been left open for Isaac, who had ACL surgery in August, to make his season debut at some point on the Magic’s nine-day, five-game trip — perhaps as early as Saturday’s opener against the Warriors.

Suggs had missed 19 straight games with a sprained right ankle before getting a five-minute cameo in Thursday’s 123-115 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He shot 1-for-4 on a two-point night and will begin the trip on a minutes restriction.

Banchero had 30 points and Franz Wagner, returning from his league-mandated game off, 22 in the loss to the Grizzlies during which Moritz Wagner was sitting out the second and final night of his suspension.

The Warriors were once again without Wiggins and Curry when they saw a five-game winning streak end on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Saddiq Bey in a 122-119 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Wiggins attended the game and has returned to practice, making it likely he will rejoin the club to face the Magic. He also has been dealing with a non-COVID illness.

Curry won’t, but Warriors general manager Bob Meyers took time earlier in the week to map out a possible schedule for his return from a left-shoulder dislocation that has sidelined him since the accident occurred on Dec. 14.

The Warriors had opened an eight-game homestand with five wins before the shocker against the Pistons. Klay Thompson had 30 points in the loss, including a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left that appeared to be sending the game into overtime before Bey’s 28-footer.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (24-15) at Dallas Mavericks (22-17)

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NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (24-15) at Dallas Mavericks (22-17)

On Friday, the New Orleans Pelicans faced the Brooklyn Nets, whose 12-game winning streak ended in their previous contest.

On Saturday night, the Pelicans will visit the Dallas Mavericks, whose seven-game winning streak was snapped in their prior outing.

The Pelicans watched the visiting Nets bounce back from a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday to earn a 108-102 victory in New Orleans on Friday. Now the Pelicans must contend with the Mavericks, who matched their largest margin of defeat this season in a 124-95 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

New Orleans led the Nets by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and was up by 11 at halftime. However, the Pelicans, playing without their top two scorers — Zion Williamson (hamstring injury) and Brandon Ingram (toe) — could not keep up on offense with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the second half.

The Mavericks’ offense couldn’t hang with the Celtics. Dallas trailed 64-46 at halftime after making just 15 of 43 field-goal attempts (34.9 percent), including 2 of 16 from 3-point range. Boston’s bench outscored Dallas’ 27-2 in the first half.

The Mavericks finished shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 21.9 percent (7 of 32) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Celtics hit 48.8 from the floor and 37.2 percent (16 of 43) from long distance.

Luka Doncic averaged 41.7 points a game during the Mavericks’ winning streak but had just 23 against the Celtics. He didn’t play after Boston took a 24-point lead at the end of the third quarter.

Kidd told his players that they could take a lesson from the way the Celtics shared the ball and how their top two scorers — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — got their teammates involved on a night when Dallas tied its season low with 15 assists.

The Pelicans are starting their longest road trip of the season, which features five games in 10 days.

The Pelicans won their first meeting against the Mavericks this season, 113-111 on Oct. 5 in New Orleans. The teams will meet again Feb. 2 in Dallas and March 8 in New Orleans.

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (20-21) at Chicago Bulls (18-21)

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NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (20-21) at Chicago Bulls (18-21)

When Lauri Markkanen returns to Chicago with the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, Bulls fans might not recognize what they see.

Sure, the 7-footer still looks like the curly-haired Finnish big man who played for the organization for the first four seasons of his NBA career from 2017 to 2021.

However, his game has evolved so much since he last played for Chicago before spending a season in Cleveland and then being traded to Utah that there might not be much resemblance to onlookers.

Markkanen enters Saturday’s contest on the heels of the best scoring game of his NBA career, having lit up the host Houston Rockets for 49 points in a 131-114 Jazz win on Thursday.

The All-Star candidate hit 15 of 27 field-goal attempts, nailed six 3-pointers, made all 13 free-throw attempts and grabbed eight rebounds to help Utah snap a five-game skid. He credited those around him.

Markkanen has elevated his game since joining the Jazz in a massive offseason trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland for the versatile forward and a bevy of assets, including three first-round picks. He is averaging a career-best 24.5 points — nine points higher than he averaged in four years with Chicago — on 53.0 percent shooting to go with 8.4 rebounds per game this season.

Markkanen has played once in Chicago since leaving the Bulls, scoring 28 points in a Cleveland win on Jan. 19, 2022.

He had 32 points and nine rebounds in Utah’s 114-107 home loss to the Bulls in November.

Chicago was led in that contest by DeMar DeRozan (26 points), Zach LaVine (20 points, six rebounds and five assists) and Nikola Vucevic (16 points and nine boards).

While Utah had Friday off after traveling from Texas, the Bulls earned an impressive 126-112 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers. LaVine hit 11 of 13 3-point attempts en route to 41 points as Chicago snapped the 76ers’ 11-game home winning streak.

While LaVine flirted with his career high of 13 3-pointers, Vucevic took advantage of the absence of Sixers center Joel Embiid and notched a triple-double with 19 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Bulls didn’t have the greatest start, though, falling behind by 13 points before going on a 28-11 run entering halftime.

LaVine hit three 3-pointers in a span of 1:27 in the third quarter to put Chicago up 88-74, giving the Bulls control for good.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (27-12) at San Antonio Spurs (13-26)

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NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (27-12) at San Antonio Spurs (13-26)

The Boston Celtics will aim to boost their league-best record and flex a little after a momentum-building victory when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

The Celtics are making their only visit to San Antonio this season following a dominating 124-95 road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Jayson Tatum led the way with his second career triple-double, racking up 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as Boston snapped a two-game skid and ended Dallas’ seven-game winning streak.

Tatum scored 18 of his points after halftime. Jaylen Brown added 15 of his 19 points in the game in the second half, while Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon hit for 15 apiece, Grant Williams tallied 12 points and Derrick White had 10.

Boston allowed the high-flying Mavericks just 19 points in the third quarter.

The Spurs are not the best, but they were on their game Friday when they took charge in the middle of the third quarter on the way to a 121-109 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons.

Tre Jones scored 25 points and Jakob Poeltl had 11 points and 16 rebounds as the Spurs snapped a three-game losing streak.

The game was tied at 65 halfway through the third quarter before San Antonio took charge with a 10-0 run. It started with a layup by Romeo Langford and was capped by a 3-pointer from Josh Richardson.

The Spurs led by 12 points after Richardson’s dunk with 42.8 seconds to play in the period before heading to the fourth quarter with an 86-76 advantage.

The Pistons never got closer than five points in the final period.

Langford added 15 points for San Antonio, with Malaki Branham hitting for 14 and Jeremy Sochan 10. The Spurs have won three of their past four home games.

Sochan has scored in double figures in 17 games this season, the most by any Spurs rookie since Kawhi Leonard’s 25 in 2011-12.

The Spurs will have to play an extended stint without second-leading scorer Devin Vassell, who will have arthroscopic left knee surgery next week. San Antonio also might be without leading scorer Keldon Johnson against the Celtics after he tweaked his left hamstring on Friday.

NFL Transactions 1-6-23

NFL Editor
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NFL Transactions 1-6-23

The following are the NFL transactions for Thursday, January 5. Transactions will be published each day after they are circulated to NFL clubs. This public version will include waiver requests, assignments via waivers, terminations, free agent signings, reserve list and practice squad additions and deletions, and trades.

WAIVER SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS


WAIVER REQUESTS (All are NO RECALL)

MINNESOTA
    Muse, NickTESouth Carolina   

PHILADELPHIA
    Opeta, IosuaGWeber State   
 
    CLAIMING DEADLINE: 4:00 p.m., N.Y. Time, Saturday, 1/7/23



ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS


ACTIVATIONS

BUFFALO
    Benford, ChristianDBVillanova   
         From Reserve/Injured; Designated for Return

KANSAS CITY
    Smith-Marsette, IhmirWRIowa   
         From Practice Squad (Standard Elevation)
    Wright, MatthewKCentral Florida   
         From Practice Squad (Standard Elevation)

LAS VEGAS
    Calitro, AustinLBVillanova   
         From Practice Squad (Standard Elevation)
    Lacy, ChrisWROklahoma State   
         From Practice Squad (Standard Elevation)


FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

WASHINGTON
    Akingbulu, AlexTFresno State   
         From Washington Practice Squad
    Potoa’e, BenningDEWashington   
         From Washington Practice Squad


RESERVE LIST ADDITIONS

ARIZONA
    Banjo, ChrisDBSouthern Methodist   
         Reserve/Injured
    Ledbetter, JonathanDEGeorgia   
         Reserve/Injured

BUFFALO
    Hamlin, DamarDBPittsburgh   
         Reserve/Injured

NEW ENGLAND
    Bailey, JakePStanford  (12/31)
         Reserve/Suspended by Club        From Reserve/Injured; Designated For Return
    Jones, JackDBArizona State  (12/31)
         Reserve/Suspended by Club        From Reserve/Injured

WASHINGTON
    Charles, SaahdiqTLouisiana State   
         Reserve/Injured
    St-Juste, BenjaminDBMinnesota   
         Reserve/Injured
 PRACTICE SQUAD TRANSACTIONS


ADDITIONS

KANSAS CITY
    Wright, MatthewKCentral Florida   
         Exception
         (Also see ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS)

NEW YORK GIANTS
    Heflin, JackDTIowa   

SAN FRANCISCO
    Spence, AkeemDTIllinois   
         Veteran


CONTRACTS TERMINATED BY CLUB

KANSAS CITY
    Hilliard, JustinLBOhio State   

NEW YORK GIANTS
    Butler, VernonDTLouisiana Tech   


CONTRACTS TERMINATED BY PLAYER

WASHINGTON
    Akingbulu, AlexTFresno State   
         (Also see ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS)
    Potoa’e, BenningDEWashington   
         (Also see ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS)
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