Jesse King

D'Angelo Russell had 27 points and 11 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets surpassed last season's win total by beating the Denver Nuggets 135-130. Russell made six of the Nets' 19 3-pointers, one game after they made only five as a team in their poorest shooting performance of the season.

Rensselear Polytechnic Institute is celebrating its first semester with a new virtual and augmented reality lab, where students can use modern technology to explore new environments and learning methods. 

Jayson Tatum scored 25 points and the Celtics picked up their fifth consecutive win by downing the Cavaliers, 103-96 in Cleveland. Gordon Hayward added 18 points for Boston, which played its third straight game without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving because of a strained left hip.

An eight-game winning streak has moved the Philadelphia Flyers over .500 for the first time since Nov. 13. Carter Hart made 18 of his 41 saves in the third period to preserve the Flyers' 2-1 victory over Vancouver. Hart improved to 10-5-1 since being recalled from the minors in December. 

It's a six-pack for Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. The Pats are Super Bowl champions for the sixth time following a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the 53-year history of the game, and the first in which neither team reached the end zone until the fourth quarter.

SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson delivered her second State of the University System address Thursday. At the Albany Capital Center, Johnson said the SUNY system offers “a wonderful education for the many, not the few.” She lauded public education as the key to social equality not only in New York, but nationally.

The Warriors' 11-game winning streak is over after Joel Embiid contributed 26 points and 20 rebounds in Philadelphia's 113-104 win against the two-time defending NBA champs. Ben Simmons also scored 26 points and JJ Redick added 15 in the 76ers' first win over the Warriors in nearly six years. 

The Boston Celtics spent another game without guard Kyrie Irving, but it didn't stop them from posting a 32-point win. Jaylen Brown delivered 24 points and 10 rebounds in the Celtics' seventh win in eight games, 126-94 over the Hornets. 

As New York state lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuana, county delegates gathered in Albany Tuesday to discuss the challenges and opportunities legal pot may bring.

Conor Sheary got the tie-breaking goal early in the third period to power the Buffalo Sabres over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. Carter Hutton had 33 saves for the Sabres in the first game back from an 11-day break. 

The Nets' six-game winning streak is over after Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 21 points to lead the Celtics' 112-104 win against Brooklyn. Aron Baynes had 16 points and Marcus Morris added 15 for Boston, which tied a team record with 16 blocks en route to its sixth win in seven games. The Celtics played without Kyrie Irving because of a hip injury.

The AFC has won the Pro Bowl for the third straight year, beating the NFC, 26-7 amid a steady rain in Orlando. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the game MVP after completing 7 of 14 passes for 156 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown toss to Colts receiver Eric Ebron. 

The head of the baseball players' association expressed concern over a second straight offseason that has seen Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and many other free agents remain without deals less than a month before spring training. 

Two legendary Olympians were in Albany Wednesday to promote a new upcoming sports competition.

The Nets earned a 114-110 victory against Orlando as D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie carried Brooklyn to its fifth straight win. Russell had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Dinwiddie scored 29 to help the Nets improve to 26-23.

Officials at Albany Law School are celebrating the largest donation in school history. It’s part of a new fundraising campaign to expand the institution and its community impact.

Baseball's all-time saves leader has become the game's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection. Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera received all 425 votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. 

D'Angelo Russell nailed seven 3-pointers and had 31 points with eight assists as the Nets pounded the Kings, 123-94. Joe Harris added 19 points and rookie Rodions Kurucs chipped in 16 for Brooklyn, which has won four straight and 17 of 22.

The upcoming Super Bowl will be a rematch of the 2001-02 title game. Greg Zuerlein has kicked the Los Angeles Rams into the Super Bowl, and Patriots are headed back there for the third straight year and the ninth time in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

Saturday marks the second anniversary of the day when hundreds of thousands marched for women’s rights across the country, just after President Trump took office. The movement has since branched into various civil rights and social concerns while encountering controversy of its own. Thousands plan to take to the streets once again this weekend. 

The Philadelphia 76ers were easy winners in a clash between two of the top teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid delivered 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in the Sixers' seventh victory in nine games, a 120-96 blowout over the Pacers at Indiana. 

The Brooklyn Nets weren't expected to battle for a playoff berth this year, yet they currently hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference after reaching the .500 mark for the first time this late in season since the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan delivered her State of the Town address Tuesday morning before the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber. She'll give the speech again before the Town Board on Thursday.

The top of the NHL's Metropolitan Division is a little tighter right now, with just three points separating the top four teams. The Islanders are within three points of the Capitals and Blue Jackets. 

Monday's top-25 basketball schedule featured a trio of upsets, none greater than what Syracuse did at Durham. Syracuse held Duke to 2-of-8 shooting in overtime and to just 21 percent from 3-point range in a 95-91 victory over the top-ranked Blue Devils.

The NFL conference championships are set following victories by the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Pats will be making their eighth consecutive appearance in the AFC title game when they visit the Chiefs in Kansas City next Sunday. The Saints are back in the NFC title game following a 10-year absence and will host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

The Rangers outshot the Islanders 17-1 in the third period, but Josh Bailey's goal with 1:26 remaining sent the Isles to a 4-3 win at Madison Square Garden. Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists in the Isles' seventh win in eight games.

Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points, and Jayson Tatum finished with 20 in the Celtics' 135-108 rout of the Pacers. Boston owns a four-game winning streak following its highest scoring performance this season.

Jeff Skinner got his 29th goal of the season while the Sabres scored five times in the second period of a 5-1 pounding of the Devils. C.J. Smith, Casey Mittelstadt, Jake McCabe and Lawrence Pilut also scored to back Carter Hutton's 20-save performance.

Connecticut U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal this week detailed legislation mandating universal background checks for gun purchases. The Background Check Expansion Act is Murphy’s first bill of the 116th Congress.