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NBA Preview: San Antonio Spurs (14-34) at Los Angeles Clippers (26-24)

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NBA Preview: San Antonio Spurs (14-34) at Los Angeles Clippers (26-24)

Fresh off one of their best victories of the season and starting to play as they expected, the Los Angeles Clippers will take their new-found success up against the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

The Clippers are on a three-game winning streak, a run that started with a 131-126 victory at San Antonio on Friday. It is their longest string of victories since a three-game streak in the middle of December.

The Clippers finally have stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in a flow after both struggled with injuries and inconsistency this season.

The injury bug has been a roster-wide problem for Los Angeles, as sharpshooter Luke Kennard (calf) has been out for three weeks and backup point guard John Wall (abdomen) has been sidelined for two weeks. In addition, Marcus Morris Sr. left the Clippers’ 133-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday due to a rib injury.

Without Morris for most of the game, the Clippers still were able to do plenty of damage with Leonard and George combining for 52 points while going 22 of 36 (61.1 percent) from the field. Norman Powell, who added 22 points, has averaged 24.3 the past four games.

Against the Spurs on Friday, Leonard put up 36 points, taking it to his former team with his highest scoring game of the season. Since leaving San Antonio following the 2017-18 season, Leonard has averaged 25.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 10 games against the Spurs.

While Leonard forced a trade out of San Antonio, he has no animosity toward Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. The two shared a cordial embrace after the Friday game with the veteran coach even getting the stoic Leonard to crack a smile.

San Antonio will be playing for the second time in two nights at Los Angeles after falling 113-104 to the Lakers on Wednesday. Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Zach Collins added 16 as the Spurs lost for the eighth time in their last nine games and the 11th time in their past 13.

Jeremy Sochan added 14 points for San Antonio but left in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury and did not return.

The Spurs have lost six of their past eight meetings with the Clippers, including all three this season, with Thursday’s game the completion of the season series. San Antonio has been swept in a season series by Los Angeles just once, in 1996-97.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (29-20) at Houston Rockets (11-37)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (29-20) at Houston Rockets (11-37)

In what is a testament to the grueling nature of an 82-game season, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemingly have plateaued following a roaring start that made the rest of the league take notice.

The grind appears to have caught up to the Cavaliers, who will continue their three-game road trip with a game against the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

With a 105-103 road loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday, the Cavaliers dropped to 6-6 in January. The offseason addition of three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to an ascendant roster paid immediate dividends for the Cavaliers, whose blend of frontcourt size and backcourt dynamism yielded instant success over the opening two-plus months of the regular season.

This month, Cleveland is 15th in offensive rating (115.9), and its 2.1 net rating in January is 11th overall. Even the Cavaliers’ defensive rating (113.8 this month) has slumped.

Returning to form will require an intentional focus on both ends of the court. Optimal health would also help as Cleveland has dealt with its share of nagging injuries undermining progress.

Mitchell returned from a three-game injury hiatus to face the Knicks, and he missed 15 of 24 shots en route to posting 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Issues with the left groin strain that sidelined him flared up late Tuesday, with Mitchell experiencing cramps in both legs in addition to groin tightness while tumbling to the court on the Cavaliers’ final offensive possession.

Mitchell declared himself “all right” afterward, and he is listed as questionable for Thursday. Given how Cleveland has leveled off this month, his return to form is paramount to the Cavaliers regaining the stride that yielded such promise.

Meanwhile, the Rockets, who feature one of the youngest rosters in the league with 10 players 22 years old or younger, would seem by design inclined to push the pace and score in transition. And in the first half of their 108-103 home loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, the Rockets produced eight fastbreak points en route to building a commanding 19-point lead.

But the Rockets rank 28th in fastbreak points at 11.2 per game and 16th in pace with 100.08 possessions per 48 minutes. In the second half against the Wizards, the offense bogged down and Houston scored only four points in transition while shooting 38.5 percent.

For such a high-turnover team, running for the sake of running comes with additional risks. Still, given the Rockets’ ample youth and the abundance of athletic players in their rotation, running more frequently would seem to present an avenue for Houston to generate easier offense, a necessity for a team ranked next to last in the NBA in offensive rating (109.1).

NBA Preview: Detroit Pistons (12-37) at Brooklyn Nets (29-18)

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NBA Preview: Detroit Pistons (12-37) at Brooklyn Nets (29-18)

Since losing Kevin Durant to a sprained right knee two weeks ago, Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn’s message to his players is, “Expect to win.”

While the Nets are not enduring an 11-game losing streak like last year when Durant missed 21 games, they are experiencing mixed results so far in the star forward’s absence. They hope to capitalize on a steady flow of home games heading into the All-Star break, starting with a Thursday visit from the Detroit Pistons.

The Nets are 2-5 since losing Durant to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee when he collided with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in the third quarter on Jan. 8. Last year, they went 5-16 while Durant was sidelined from mid-January to early March due to an MCL sprain in his left knee.

This month, Brooklyn lost its first two games without Durant by struggling in the fourth quarters of home games against the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then the Nets went 2-3 on a five-game trip that ended with a 137-133 loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Brooklyn allowed 41 points in the opening quarter, and the 76ers wound up shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and making 35 of 36 free throws.

Last year when Durant was sidelined, Kyrie Irving was unavailable for home games due to New York’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and James Harden ultimately sought a trade away from Brooklyn.

This time, the Nets are not dealing with any other injuries beyond Durant and are getting plenty from Irving. On Wednesday, Irving contributed 30 points and 10 assists, and he is averaging 36.5 points in his past four contests after being held to 24 and 15 in the first two games of Durant’s absence.

Irving had plenty of help at Philadelphia as the Nets nearly erased a 17-point deficit. Seth Curry scored a season-high 32 points, and Nic Claxton added 25 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double in six games.

The Nets are 11-3 in their past 14 home games. They are 13-7 overall in Brooklyn, where they play eight of their next nine games.

Detroit heads to Brooklyn on a four-game skid and with seven losses in eight games.

The Pistons, who are allowing 120.3 points per game (the second-highest average in the NBA), are coming off their worst defensive showing of the season. They took a 150-130 loss to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, when they allowed 49 points in the opening quarter and 83 points in the first half.

It was the fourth time the Pistons allowed at least 140 this season and 11th instance of them yielding at least 130.

The ugly defensive night negated Detroit reaching 130 points for the fifth time along with a 33-point showing from Bojan Bogdanovic. The former Nets forward has scored at least 20 points in each of his past 10 games.

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (26-23) at Boston Celtics (35-14)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (26-23) at Boston Celtics (35-14)

The Boston Celtics will look to avoid their second three-game losing streak of the season when they begin a four-game homestand with a matchup against the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

Boston was 7-0 in the second game of back-to-backs before falling 98-95 in Miami on Tuesday, one night after a 113-98 loss at Orlando.

The Celtics, who entered the week on a nine-game winning streak, played the second game in Florida with a significantly short-handed lineup. They hope to return to fuller strength starting Thursday with their first of two games in three nights.

Starters Jaylen Brown (injury management), Al Horford (back) and Marcus Smart (ankle) and sixth man Malcolm Brogdon (personal) were out against the Magic.

Without his usual supporting cast, Boston star Jayson Tatum scored 31 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and added 14 rebounds and seven assists, though he committed seven turnovers.

The Celtics were held to 13 points in the fourth quarter and finished below the 100-point mark overall for just the fourth time this season. They lost despite limiting Miami to 36.2 percent shooting from the floor.

Because of the absences, Payton Pritchard stepped up and played a season-high 42 minutes Tuesday. He had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

New York snapped a four-game slide with a 105-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. The Knicks’ Julius Randle, who had 36 points and 13 rebounds, broke a tie with 2:07 left by sinking his eighth 3-pointer of the night.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who had a streak of eight 25-plus-point games snapped on Friday, saw the Tuesday victory as a building block with two strong teams on the upcoming slate, the Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.

The Knicks’ first win since Jan. 15 at Detroit included a massive play, as reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein blocked a short shot by Cavs star Donovan Mitchell with 47 seconds left.

The Celtics and Knicks have not met since Nov. 5, a 133-118 Boston road win in which Brown scored 30 points and Randle had 29.

Boston has won the past three home meetings with New York, but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau believes his team has what it takes to compete.

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 26, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 26, 2023

* Mitchell Marner scored the game winner just 19 seconds into the extra frame while Sebastian Aho hit the 200-goal mark as the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes both rallied to overtime victories.

* Jared McCann became the first player to tally 50 career goals with Seattle as the Kraken eclipsed their 2021-22 point total in just 47 games.

* The Bruins and Lightning will each put lengthy win streaks on the line when the Atlantic Division foes face off during Thursday’s nine-game slate.

MARNER, AHO SHINE IN MAPLE LEAFS, HURRICANES OVERTIME VICTORIES
Mitchell Marner and Sebastian Aho each shone in their respective team’s overtime victories Wednesday as Toronto (30-11-8, 68 points) strengthened its grip on second place in the Atlantic Division and Carolina (30-9-8, 68 points) leapfrogged past idle New Jersey (31-12-4, 66 points) for top spot in the Metropolitan Division:

* Timothy Liljegren (1-1—2) tied the game for Toronto (30-11-8, 68 points) with 4:11 remaining in regulation and set the stage for 2023 NHL All-Star Marner (1-0—1) in overtime, who skated past three Rangers players to pot the winner just 19 seconds into the extra frame while soaring through the air in Bobby Orr-like fashion.



* Aho achieved a couple of milestones Wednesday, becoming the sixth player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to score at least 200 goals with the club while also tying Eric Staal for the most shorthanded tallies in franchise history with his 16th career goal on the penalty kill. That set the stage for Martin Necas, who netted the fifth overtime winner of his career – one back of Aho for the most by a Hurricanes skater since Necas’ NHL debut in 2017-18.



McCANN HITS 50-GOAL MARK WITH KRAKEN AS SEATTLE SCORES SIX
Jared McCann (1-2—3) matched his single-game high and became the first player to score 50 career goals with the Kraken as Seattle (28-14-5, 61 points) surpassed both Los Angeles (27-17-6, 60 points) and Vegas (29-17-3, 61 points) to take over first place in the Pacific Division.

* Seattle scored at least six goals in a game for the fifth time this season, trailing only Buffalo (11 GP), Edmonton (10 GP), NY Rangers (8 GP), Pittsburgh (7 GP) and Boston (6 GP) for the most such performances. The Kraken’s goal-per-game mark of 3.66 ranks fourth in the NHL – more than one goal per game higher than the club’s scoring rate during its inaugural season (2.60; 28th).



ROOKIES, VETERANS SPOTLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Wednesday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a number of noteworthy performances, including rookies Kirill Marchenko (1-0—1)and Kent Johnson (1-0—1) each finding the score sheet in the Blue Jackets’ overtime win as well as veteran Claude Giroux (1-1—2) putting up a multi-point performance at Canadian Tire Centre.

* Marchenko scored in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit, making way for Johnson to net the winner in overtime as Columbus snapped Edmonton’s six-game win streak. Marchenko’s 11 goals in 2022-23 (11-0—11) are tied with Matt Calvert (11-4—15 in 2010-11) for the most by a Blue Jackets rookie through 25 games played in a season.

* Giroux factored on both of his team’s goals, including scoring the winner, to record his 13th multi-point game of 2022-23 as Ottawa defeated New York. He trails only Tim Stützle (14 GP) for the most among all Senators players this season.




QUICK CLICKS

* Matt Nieto, Ryan Merkley traded to Avalanche by Sharks

* Senators assistant coach Bob Jones diagnosed with ALS

* Corey Seager performs ceremonial puck drop before Stars game

* Mailbag: Timo Meier of Sharks trade option for Devils

* NHL prospects prepare to take stage at Beanpot

TEAM STREAKS ON THE LINE IN ATLANTIC DIVISION SHOWDOWN

Among Thursday’s nine-game slate is a clash between a pair of streaking Atlantic Division foes when the League-leading Bruins (38-5-4, 80 points), who have won seven consecutive road contests, visit the Lightning (30-15-1, 61 points), who have earned victories in 10 straight home games at AMALIE Arena.

* Boston has a 16-4-1 (33 points) record as the visitor this season and its road points percentage of .786 ranks second only to New Jersey (.864). The Bruins (7-0-0 dating to Dec. 28, 2022) can register a road win streak of eight or more games for just the fourth time in franchise history (9 GP in 2013-14, 8 GP in 1992-93 & 8 GP in 1971-72).

* Should the Bruins extend their road win streak to eight games, they would mark the sixth time in NHL history a team had a road win streak of eight or more contests and a home win streak of eight or more outings in the same season – a list they are already all over. The other teams to do so: Columbus in 2016-17, Boston in 2013-14, Detroit in 2001-02, Montreal in 1977-78 and Boston in 1971-72.

* The Lightning have won 10 consecutive home games dating to Dec. 8, 2022, with the Bruins’ season opening 14-game run the only longer such streak this season. With a victory tonight, they would match the franchise record for longest home win streak (11 GP in 2019-20). 



* DYK? Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is the most recent player to be featured in the Not One Path series, highlighting unconventional roads to the NHL. Despite facing challenging financial circumstances and growing up in a non-traditional hockey market, Bellemare (Le Blanc-Mesnil, France) made his NHL debut in 2014-15 – he is one of only 12 French-born players in League history.



ALL-STARS HAYES, KAPRIZOV GO HEAD-TO-HEAD ON ESPN+

In a contest that will be featured exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu, 2023 NHL All-Star representatives Kevin Hayes (15-29—44 in 48 GP) and Kirill Kaprizov (27-30—57 in 46 GP) will be on opposite ends of the ice when the Flyers visit the Wild.

* Hayes, who has been selected to appear in an All-Star Game for the first time, leads all Flyers skaters in assists (29) and ranks second on the club in goals (15) and points (44). Kaprizov, meanwhile, will make his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance and has already set new franchise records for longest goal streak (7 GP), longest assist streak (9 GP) and longest point streak (14 GP) so far in 2022-23.

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (25-24) at Phoenix Suns (25-24)

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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (25-24) at Phoenix Suns (25-24)

After opening the month by losing seven of their first eight games, the Phoenix Suns have quickly returned to form over the past week.

Phoenix looks to extend its winning streak to five games when it faces the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Cameron Johnson’s return has made an immediate impact on the Suns, who cruised to a 128-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Playing in his third game since returning from a knee injury that kept him out more than two months, Johnson scored 24 points in 18 minutes.

Dario Saric had 19 points off the bench for Phoenix, which has moved up to a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference after dropping as low as 12th earlier this month. Even during the rough patch, Johnson said his team never panicked.

While Phoenix is trending in the right direction, Dallas has lost seven of its last nine games and eight of its last 11.

The Mavericks fell 127-126 to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday despite another strong performance from star Luka Doncic, who finished with 41 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Dwight Powell scored 22 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 20.

Dallas also received a solid outing from forward Josh Green, who contributed 16 points in his fourth game since returning from a 20-game absence with a right elbow sprain. Dorian Finney-Smith added 12 points.

Dinwiddie didn’t hesitate to share his frustration after the loss to the Wizards, who entered the contest six games under .500.

Dallas eliminated the Suns from last season’s playoffs, defeating the favored Suns in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Mavericks have split two meetings this season against Phoenix, which is concluding a five-game homestand. The Suns have won six straight regular-season home games over Dallas, with their last loss coming on Nov. 29, 2019.

Dallas clinched the playoff series last season with a 123-90 rout on Phoenix’s home floor.

Suns center Deandre Ayton is probable after he missed the last three games due to a non-COVID illness, creating more playing time for Bismack Biyombo.

The 11-year pro drew praise from coach Monty Williams after recording six points, nine rebounds, five blocks and four assists in the win over Charlotte.

NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (22-25) at Charlotte Hornets (13-36)

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NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (22-25) at Charlotte Hornets (13-36)

The Chicago Bulls and host Charlotte Hornets ought to be frustrated teams when they meet on Thursday night.

But the agitations come for different reasons.

The Bulls lost 116-110 on Tuesday night at Indiana, with a three-game winning streak ending when they couldn’t protect a 21-point lead.

The Hornets will be back home from a 2-2 trip that concluded with blowout losses to Utah and Phoenix on back-to-back nights.

The Bulls might be missing chances to make more gains in the Eastern Conference standings. The Charlotte game will mark the seventh contest in a row against an opponent currently with a .500 record or worse.

Donovan said when the stakes seem to rise during a game, the Bulls don’t always react with a higher level of play.

The Bulls haven’t put together a four-game winning streak all season.

The result of the game in Indiana was stinging.

Similar to how they were when they embarked on their trip, the Hornets are a wounded bunch. Gordon Hayward missed the Phoenix game with a hamstring strain, joining LaMelo Ball and Cody Martin on the sidelines.

Charlotte gave up 22 baskets from 3-point range at Phoenix. The Hornets made just six 3-pointers.

The Bulls have been without backup guard Goran Dragic because of non-COVID illness.

The Bulls own a 106-88 home victory against Charlotte from Nov. 2. That result gave Chicago a 5-4 record, but the Bulls lost the next game and haven’t been above .500 again.

Kelly Oubre Jr., who is out with a hand injury, was the game’s top scorer that night with 24 points for the Hornets.

MBB-FBS: UCLA Bruins (17-3) at USC Trojans (14-6)

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MBB-FBS: UCLA Bruins (17-3) at USC Trojans (14-6)

The USC Trojans (14-6, 6-3) will host the UCLA Bruins (17-3, 8-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 26 at 6:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2 with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton calling the action.

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 197-124 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 238-152 record.

FACING No. 8/No. 7 UCLA — The UCLA Bruins (17-3, 8-1) are coming off their first conference loss of the season, a 58-52 setback at Arizona on Jan. 21. Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads UCLA in scoring (16.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg). Six Bruins are averaging at least 8.4 points per game. UCLA defeated USC 60-58 on Jan. 5 at Pauley Pavilion. In that game, USC rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to take the lead with 30 seconds left, only to have UCLA’s Jaylen Clark hit a second-chance three-pointer to get the lead back for the Bruins. USC has won 5 of its last 8 games with UCLA and its last four at the Galen Center. USC trails 114-146* in the all-time series with UCLA (1 win later vacted due to NCAA penalty, original record 115-146).

WASHINGTON STATE ON DECK — USC’s next game will be vs. the Washington State Cougars (9-12, 4-6) at the Galen Center on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Washington State has lost its last two games following a season-best three-game winning streak. The Cougars will host Arizona and Arizona State before traveling to Los Angeles. Guard TJ Bamba leads Washington State in scoring with a 15.2 points per game average. USC lost 81-71 at Washington State on Jan. 1, snapping a 12-game winning streak against the Cougars. USC leads the all-time series 81-49.

PRIME TIME TROJANS — USC is 10-0 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 4 of its last 7 opponents to under 37 percent shooting. USC has held 12 of its 20 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.5 shooting percentage this season, 10th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.8 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 66-37, Arizona is 67-36, while UCLA is 68-33 in that stretch, through games of Jan. 23. Next up would be Oregon at 63-36 and Colorado at 58-42.

ENJOYING THE HOME COOKING — USC is 9-1 at the Galen Center this season, losing the opener to FGCU on Nov. 7, then winning the next 9 games. The 9-game home winning streak is USC’s longest single-season home winning streak since beginning the 2016-17 season 9-0 at the Galen Center. The last time USC won 10 or more in a row at home in a single season was the 2015-16 season when it won the first 15 games at the Galen Center.

USC HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY — USC has 112 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 51 blocks. USC is averaging 5.6 blocks per game, tied for 13th in the country. Morgan’s 51 blocks this season lead the conference and rank 8th 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 583 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.

PETERSON PROVIDING THE ASSIST — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is third among Pac-12 players with 95 assists. Peterson is one of two players nationally (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 14.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — USC made 38.9 percent of its 3-pointers at Arizona State on Jan. 21, its sixth game this season making at least 38 percent from 3-point range. In those six games USC has made 45.2 percent of its 3-pointers (56-for-124), while it has averaged 24.6 percent from beyond the arc in the other 14 games (56-for-228).

CLANCY ON THE CALL — Former USC basketball great Sam Clancy will join Jordan Moore, the voice of Trojan basketball, on the radio broadcast of the game vs. Washington on Feb. 4.

THE FOUL TRUTH — USC committed 23 fouls in the 81-66 loss at Arizona on Jan. 19 and fell to 0-4 this season when committing 20 or more fouls in a game. USC committed more fouls than its opponent in 5 of its 6 losses this season. USC has averaged 20.0 fouls in its losses and 15.6 fouls in its victories.

TOEING THE LINE — USC made all 14 of its free throw attempts at Arizona State on Jan. 21, tying for the third most makes from the charity stripe in a game without a miss in school history. On Jan. 19 at Arizona, USC made 66.7 percent of its free throw, snapping a streak of 5 consecutive games making 70 percent or more from the charity stripe, USC’s longest such stretch since an 8-game stretch in the 2016-17 season. USC has made 72.4 percent of its free throws this season, its best team FT percentage since the 2017 team made 74.1 percent of its free throws. USC has shot higher than 70 percent for a season from the free throw line twice in the previous 15 seasons.

MBB-FBS: Utah Valley Wolverines (16-5) at Southern Utah Thunderbirds (14-7)

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UTAH VALLEY TRAVELS DOWN I-15 TO TAKE ON SOUTHERN UTAH ON THURSDAY NIGHT

Utah Valley continues WAC road play on Thursday as the team travels down I-15 to play in-state foe Southern Utah at the America First Events Center in Cedar City. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Le’Tre Darthard matched a season high with 25 points and Trey Woodbury scored 19 to lead Utah Valley to a 76-74 road win at Grand Canyon on Saturday night at GCU Arena in Phoenix. Fuller was also in double figures with 10 points to go along with seven rebounds with two steals. Aziz Bandaogo had seven points and seven rebounds, while Blaze Nield had five points off the bench.

Utah Valley has won 13 of its last 14 games over a nearly two-month period. During that stretch, Utah Valley rattled off 11 straight wins. The 11-game streak began with an 88-78 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 3 and came to an end in an 85-80 loss to Seattle U on Jan. 14. UVU’s 11-game streak is the second longest streak in school history. The 2011-12 team holds the longest streak in team history at 13 games.

Utah Valley’s seven straight road wins is tied for the third-longest road win streak in the nation. The Wolverines have not lost a road game since falling at Boise State on Nov. 26. UVU’s seven-game road win streak includes wins at BYU, Northern Arizona, Oregon, UT Arlington, UTRGV, California Baptist, and Grand Canyon.

Utah Valley is the top shot blocking team in the nation with 137 blocks and a 6.5 blocks per game average. The Wolverines sit ahead of Iona (6.2 bpg.), Illinois (6.1 bpg.), Washington (6.0 bpg.), Auburn (5.9), and Florida (5.9). Utah Valley also ranks fourth nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.62) and ninth in rebounds per game (40.10).

Aziz Bandaogo ranks in the top-8 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks fourth in blocks (58), sixth in rebounds (219), seventh in blocks per game (2.76), ninth in double doubles (10), 10th in rebounds per game (10.4), and 10th in defensive rebounds per game (7.62).
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night’s game at Southern Utah will be broadcast live on the ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN+ app and at ESPNplus.com. The game will also be broadcast over the Utah County airwaves on ESPN 960 AM with Jim McCulloch on the call.

ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAH
Southern Utah enters Thursday’s game with 14-7 overall record and a 6-2 record in WAC play. SUU holds a 9-1 record at home this season with its only blemish an 86-83 setback to Montana State on Nov. 30. The team is a perfect 4-0 at home in WAC play this season. SUU’s two WAC losses came on the road at Tarleton and Seattle U. The Thunderbirds dropped an 81-60 decision at league leading Seattle U on Saturday night. Senior guard Tevian Jones recorded a double-double in the loss to Seattle with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Maizen Fauseet was also in double figures with 16 points against the Redhawks. Jones leads the team in scoring at 19.6 points a game, which ranks 27th nationally. He also leads the team from long range with a 55-of-143 mark this season (38.5 percent) and fronts the squad with 32 steals. Senior guard Harrison Butler (11.6), Fausett (11.5), and sophomore center Jason Spurgin also average double figure scoring. Butler leads the team on the boards, pulling down 6.5 rebounds a game. As a team, SUU holds the second-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 86.0 points a game. The team gets to the free throw line a lot, ranking eighth in the country in free throw attempts per game (24.4) and 10th in free throws made per game (39.33).

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE THUNDERBIRDS
Utah Valley and Southern Utah will meet for the 12th time on the basketball hardwood. The game will mark the first meeting between the two teams as conference foes. SUU has won four straight over the Wolverines and holds a slight edge in the overall series, 5-4. UVU’s last win in the series was an 85-75 win in Cedar City on Nov. 22, 2014. UVU holds an all-time 2-3 record against the Thunderbirds in Cedar City.

WBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (7-12) at San Jose State Spartans (3-16)

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WBB-FBS: Nevada Wolfpack (7-12) at San Jose State Spartans (3-16)

Nevada women’s basketball begins a two-game road swing on Thursday, facing San Jose State at 6 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 NBC Sports Bay Area and live stats can be accessed through Stat Broadcast.

The Pack is looking at having multiple players pass 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 is just 12 points away from reaching the half century mark for points. She would be just the third player under head coach Amanda Levens to score 500 points at Nevada by their sophomore year.

One third of Nevada’s roster has posted at least one double-double this season, led by Alyssa Jimenez with five. She is the first player to post five double-doubles in one season since Terae Briggs in 2018-19. Jimenez (18 points and 11 rebounds) posted her fifth double-double of the season on Jan. 19 against Colorado State and her third straight game with a double-double. Ormiston (15 points, 10 rebounds) had her second double-double of the season on Jan. 19. They are the first Nevada duo to post a double-double in the same game since Briggs and Teige Zeller on Feb. 21, 2018.

Givens produced back-to-back double-doubles for points and rebounds in the 2022 Nugget Classic on Nov. 25 and 27, earning All-Tournament team honors in the process. She was the first Nevada player since Briggs in 2018 to post a double-double in back-to-back games. Victoria Davis and Jimenez came up with double digit numbers in points and rebounds against Idaho on Dec. 3, becoming the first Nevada duo to collect a double-double in the same game since 2019.

Nevada has had one fourth of its roster have at least one career 20-point outing. 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 while dropping a career-high 27 points on Dec. 3 against Idaho, hitting the game-tying 3-pointer.

SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE
San Jose State is looking to build off its first conference win of the season, defeating Utah State 77-59 on Saturday. The Spartans, who snapped an eight-game losing streak on Saturday, average 55.7 points per game while grabbing 32.4 rebounds per game.

Marisa Davis-Jones, who has started in all 19 games for the Spartans, leads the team with 11.4 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. Jada Holland adds a scoring spark for San Jose State, scoring 10.1 points per game.

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