NBA
Jalen Brunson had 29 points and nine assists, Donte DiVincenzo made a career-high nine 3-pointers and the New York Knicks wrapped up one of the best months in franchise history with their eighth straight victory, beating the Utah Jazz 118-103. DiVincenzo scored 33 to lead the Knicks, who finished 14-2 in January. That was their most wins in a month since going 14-0 in March 1994 and just one shy of their most ever, when they were 15-3 in December 1968. Precious Achiuwa started and matched a season high with 18 points for New York. Collin Sexton scored 22 points for the Jazz.
Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and had two blocks in the final 30 seconds to help the Boston Celtics hold off the Indiana Pacers 129-124. Jaylen Brown added 25 points and Derrick White finished with 24 to help Boston win its season series with Indiana, 3-2. The Pacers eliminated the Celtics in the quarterfinal round of the In-Season Tournament in December. Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Pascal Siakam finished with 23 points and Myles Turner added 17. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Stephen Curry had 37 points with eight 3-pointers, Jonathan Kuminga had 26 points and the Golden State Warriors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-107 on a night when guard Klay Thompson sat out with an illness. Curry, who also had eight rebounds and seven assists, shot 12 for 17 in his third straight 30-point game. Tobias Harris had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Joel Embiid scored 14 points for the Sixers before limping to the locker room with 4:04 left to a standing ovation after Kuminga fell on his left knee.
Trae Young scored 26 points, including his first six attempts from 3-point range, and the Atlanta Hawks handed LeBron James and the Los Angeles their second double-digit loss in as many nights, 138-122. The Hawks seized control by ripping off three straight baskets to start the second half, pushing their lead to 17 points and forcing the Lakers to call a quick timeout. The Lakers played without Anthony Davis after a 135-119 loss at Houston the previous night. Austin Reaves scored 28 points and James added 20, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Lakers from slipping back below .500.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 24, Bruce Brown added 19 points and seven rebounds and the Toronto Raptors snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a 118-107 win over the Chicago Bulls. Jordan Nwora scored 17 points in 19 minutes and Dennis Schroder added 16 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who trailed by 16 in the second quarter but regained the lead late in the third and held on from there. DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 21 for Chicago, which has lost three of four.
Stephen Curry is headed back to NBA All-Star weekend. Sabrina Ionescu will be waiting for him. The shootout that both of them wanted is officially a reality, the NBA announced Tuesday. “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will happen as part of All-Star Saturday Night in Indianapolis on Feb. 17. Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point king, will take on the reigning WNBA 3-point shootout queen and single-season record holder Ionescu. “Stage is set! Let’s get it,” Curry posted on social media. Ionescu responded simply: “Let’s go!”
NHL
Dmitri Voronkov’s third period goal snapped a scoreless tie, and the Columbus Blue Jackets snapped the St. Louis Blues’ season-high five-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory. Elvis Merzlikins made 21 saves to record his 10th career shutout and first since blanking Carolina on Jan. 13, 2022, ending a 94-game span between shutouts. It was Columbus’ first shutout of the season and first since Merzlikins blanked Carolina in 2022.Jordan Binnington made 21 saves for the Blues, who lost both games against Columbus this season. It was the second time the Blue Jackets swept a season series from St. Louis and the first time since the 2014-2015 season.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic broke a scoreless tie with 12:33 remaining and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves as the San Jose Sharks beat the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Jan Rutta added an empty-net goal for the Sharks, who have won four of five to move two points ahead of the idle Chicago Blackhawks at the bottom of the NHL standings. Blackwood earned his first shutout since December 2021 with the New Jersey Devils. It was San Jose’s first shutout of the season.
NFL
The San Francisco 49ers finally climbed back up the playoff mountain to return to the Super Bowl only to find a familiar foe waiting for them. When the Niners get a second shot at a Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs it will be a rare title game rematch in this short of a span. There have only been eight Super Bowl rematches in the previous 57 games, with just three happening in a five-year span before this rematch. The winners of those three rematches were the teams that won the first meeting.
Advertisements for sports betting may seem to be everywhere, but the NFL says viewers will only see three of them during next month's Super Bowl. During an online news conference Tuesday to discuss the upcoming championship game, league officials said they generally limit sports betting ads to one per quarter. But they say only three such ads have been sold for the Super Bowl: one right before kickoff, and two during the game. The Kansas City Chiefs will try to defend their title against the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
The Kansas City Chiefs got back to the Super Bowl by getting back to basics. Late in the season, as their high-octane offense sputtered, the Chiefs decided to dramatically simplify everything: the number of plays in the plan, route concepts, even the verbiage that goes from Andy Reid on the sideline to Matt Nagy in the coaches’ box to Patrick Mahomes on the field. And the abrupt change has paid off. The Chiefs offense started humming again. And even if it has not achieved the same level of success as in past years, it is efficient enough to complement the league's No. 2-ranked defense.
MLB
A person with knowledge of the deal says Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein has reached an agreement to buy the Baltimore Orioles for $1.725 billion. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the agreement had not been announced. Rubenstein is a Baltimore native. He will take over as the team’s controlling owner, and he’s assembled an investment team that includes Ares co-founder Michael Arougheti. The Angelos family has been in control of the Orioles since 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos’ son John is the team’s current chairman. The team recently reached a deal on a new lease extension at Camden Yards.
Veteran infielder Justin Turner and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $13 million, one-year contract. The 39-year-old Turner hit .276 with 23 homers, 96 RBIs and an .800 OPS last season for the Boston Red Sox. The two-time All-Star spent the previous nine seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Toronto has been eager to add offense to a team that struggled to score last season.
World Series MVP Corey Seager had surgery Tuesday for a left sports hernia repair, and the Texas Rangers' All-Star shortstop will miss most of spring training. General manager Chris Young says Seager had the operation Tuesday in Arizona, where the team holds spring training, and will remain there for rehab. The Rangers hope to have him ready by opening day. The hernia issue came up during the postseason, and after some extended rest was still bothering Seager during offseason workouts. Seager hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17
NHL
NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have been charged with sexual assault in connection with an investigation into an alleged sexual assault by several members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team. Lawyers representing Hart, McLeod, Foote and Dube say each player has been charged by police in London, Ontario. The developments come two days after former NHL player Alex Formenton turned himself in to police to face charges.
PGA TOUR
Rory McIlroy continues his softening against LIV Golf. He says there is no need to punish players who went to LIV Golf and want to return to the PGA Tour. McIlroy says they should be able to play if they are eligible. He also says winning at a signature event like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am would be cheapened by not having all the best players. Among those missing from Pebble are Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson. Both are with LIV. McIlroy says he spoke to Tyrrell Hatton on Sunday and understands his decision to join LIV Golf.
NCAA
The University of Tennessee chancellor ripped the NCAA president in a scathing letter released Tuesday that said the “failing” organization is pursuing “factually untrue and procedurally flawed” allegations the school violated rules for name, image and likeness compensation compensation to athletes. The letter was written Monday after a meeting between Tennessee officials and NCAA representatives to discuss the allegations. Chancellor Donde Plowman called it “intellectually dishonest” for NCAA staff to pursue infractions cases as if students have no NIL rights. The NIL collective supporting Tennessee athletes was among the first to emerge after the NCAA lifted its ban on athletes making money off their fame.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Boston College 80 Syracuse 75
Naithan George scored a go-ahead layup with 7.7 seconds remaining and Georgia Tech beat No. 3 North Carolina 74-73 to end the Tar Heels’ 10-game winning streak. RJ Davis, who scored a game-high 28 points for North Carolina, won the race to a loose ball following a missed jumper by George and scored on a layup with 34 seconds remaining for a 73-72 lead. Following a Georgia Tech timeout, George drove for the go-ahead layup. Georgia Tech ended its three-game losing streak. Davis missed a last-second jumper, prompting Georgia Tech fans to celebrate by rushing onto the court.
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