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Rhema earns Player of the Week again

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

RHEMA Collins added another hardware piece to her breakout season, earning Conference USA’s Player of the Week for the period ending January 18her second time receiving the honour this year.

The junior from Nassau averaged a double-double across a 2-0 road week, putting up 25.5 points and 13.0 rebounds while shooting 46 per cent from the floor in wins at New Mexico State and UTEP.

"I feel good about it but I couldn’t do it without my teammates or coaches," said Collins after her performances.

Collins opened the stretch in Las Cruces with a game-high 29 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 13-of19 from the line, adding 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in an 83-74 victory over New Mexico State.

Three days later, at UTEP, she followed with 22 points, 14 from the free-throw line, and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, while recording three blocks and three steals in a 67-59 win that completed FIU’s first road trip sweep since 2023–24.

Those two performances pushed her season double-double total to nine, the most in CUSA.

"I wasn’t really focused on how to perform well, it was more about what I

need to do in order to help my team get the win but my performance did what it was supposed to do and I always reflect on what I could’ve done better," she stated.

The Panthers entered the week 10-6 overall and 3-2 in Conference USA, and Collins leads the league in scoring (19.9 ppg), rebounds (10.7 rpg), and blocks (1.77 bpg) at the time of the award.

Her run of consistent production has given FIU an established inside-out scoring option and a defensive presence on the glass.

There’s growing local and mid-major buzz around Collins, especially after her 40-point explosion in December, but national WNBA mock-draft lists and scouting outlets have given her only limited attention so far.

The mainstream mockdraft conversations have focused on nationally ranked frontcourt prospects, and while some draft watchers note Collins’ size, efficiency and rebounding as NBA/ WNBA-relevant traits, she has not yet become a fixture in top-tier mock-draft boards.

That said, continued double-doubles against conference competition will only intensify evaluation.

"My expectations for the rest of the season is to take everything game by game and for us to compete for a championship," Collins pointed out.

Collins is 21 years old and listed at 6’2”. Her age and physical profile combined with improving perimeter touch and defensive timing make her an intriguing mid-major prospect for pro scouts tracking upside.

Collins reflected on big nights with modesty.

“I felt pretty good about it,” she said after the 40-point performance, later adding:

“I guess you could say I was in a groove,” and, about transferring to FIU, “I’m happy with the choice I made and comfortable with where I’m at.”

Her coach Jesyka BurksWiley emphasized team toughness after the New Mexico State game.

“I’m really proud of the resilience our kids showed tonight,” and after the UTEP win praised the group’s defence and depth.

“The defensive stand our kids took today was not only impressive but necessary when trying to secure a road win.”

If the production holds, Collins' profile will continue to rise beyond the conference level. The impact is already clear as she has become the focal point of FIU’s frontcourt and a consistent standard-setter during a season where every conference win matters.

"Always, but definitely want to get better at my ball-handling and outside shots," said Collins about some of the areas she needs to concentrate on.

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine got off to a sluggish start but still managed to roll past the Charles W Saunders Cougars yesterday.

The keenly contested Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools junior boys’ game played at Charles W Saunders saw the Big Red Machine prevail with a 29-23 decision.

With the win, SAC, coached by Donnie Culmer, stayed undefeated at 8-0, while the Cougars, coached by Sidney Forbes, fell to 5-2 with just a few more games remaining in the regular season.

"We got off to a slow start. I don't know if it was because it was cold but we had to pull out some stops and the ball bounced in our favour when we needed it to."

As they prepare for the playoffs, Culmer said they just have to rebound the

ball more and run the fast break.

Last year, in his first year coaching the Big Red Machine, they got knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual champions St John's Giants.

The Big Red Machine and the Giants have a make up game, while SAC's final regular season game is against the Queen's College Comets, who are the top contenders this year.

As for the Cougars, coach Forbes said their inexperience caused them the

game just as it did in their first loss to the Comets last week. "We just hope we can get it together," said Forbes, whose team also got eliminated in the playoffs last year. "The two games we lost, we beat ourselves. I guess the cold got to us today because we just weren't ready. I know we can do it. We just have to be a little more disciplined."

Scoreless in the first quarter, SAC got their game in high gear in the second as Christian McKenzie got their first basket and they

came from a 6-0 deficit to take a slim 10-8 advantage at the half.

Regaining their composure from the first quarter, Charles W Saunders outscored SAC 12-8 in the third, thanks to six big points from Chay Turner, for a 24-18 margin going into the fourth.  Brady Knowles canned a jumper and Mathias Josey hit a baseline three-pointer as the Big Red Machine came back for a 24-23 deficit to start the final period. Both teams traded baskets

until SAC slowly pulled away down the stretch, thanks to a couple free throws from Kamdynn Miller as he was fouled going to the basket. Miller finished with eight to lead SAC. McKinney had six, Josey five and both Donte

and John McSweeney had four, while Knowles added two.

the

Local Sports Calendar

of January 23-24 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. The event will begin on Friday at 6pm and continue on Saturday at 9am.

THE Star Trackers Track Club will hold its Star Performers Track Classic on Saturday, January 24 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.  The event will begin at 9am and will feature competition for men and women in all age groups. Interested persons can contact Laura Charlton at 357-3109 for more information.

SWIMMING BA KICK OFF MEET

7

8

THE Bahamas Aquatics will begin the new year with its New Year Kick Off Meet over the weekend

BAHAMAS TRIATHLON

THE Bahamas Triathlon

Association will hold an Olympic, sprint and relay triathlon on Sunday, February 1 at Jaws Beach starting at 7am. The Olympic course will feature a 1.5 kilometre swim, a 40K bike run and a 10K run; the sprint will have a 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run and the relay will comprise teams of two or three people competing together in both the Olympic and sprint courses. Interested persons can

contact the BTA for more details.

EDRON KNOWLES

TOURNEY

THE National Sports Authority will pay special tribute to the late Edron ‘Ed’ Knowles with a Home Run Hitting Showcase at the Bankers Field on February 20.

The top 20 home run hitters in the country will compete for $500 cash plus five cases of beers for first place, $300 and three cases of beers for second and $200 and two cases of beers for third.

The event is being sponsored by GBall and A Sure Win.

CYCLING

RIDE FOR EXUMA

THE Bahamas Cycling Federation will kick off its calendar year with the Ride for Exuma on January 24, starting at 8am in Georgetown.

The event will enable competitors to view the turquoise waters and breathtaking landscapes of Exuma.

ROAD RACE

MACEDONIA 60TH

ANNIVERSARY RACE

AS a part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, Macedonia Baptist Church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill, will stage a Family Fun Run/Walk Race, which is open to the general public.

The dual event will take place on Saturday, January 24, starting at 6am.

The walk race will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn around and head

back east on Bernard Road to the church.

The run will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn onto Soldier Road, head to Prince Charles Drive, onto Fox Hill Road and west on Bernard Road back to the church.

The registration fee is $10 for the men and women 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under, 60-and-over and Ministers/Pastors.

Interested persons can whatsapp or call Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or call the church at 324-1583 for more information.

6th RED-LINE

SONJA KNOWLES

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club’s sixth annual Sonja Knowles Track Classic will be held over the weekend of January 31 to February 1 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Classic.

The event will begin at 10am on Saturday, January 31 and continue on Sunday, February 1 at 1pm.

The categories for men and women will begin from under-7 to the masters. Interested persons can contact coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for more information.

BBSF FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its annual Family Fun Run/ Walk Race on Saturday, February 26, starting at 6am

from the Bahamas Baptist College on Jean Street.

The run will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn left onto Bernard Road and head to Village Road, turn left onto Soldier Road, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and turn left onto Bernard Road, heading back to the church.

The registration fee is $10 per person in both the men and women 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and 60-and-over as well as the Ministers/Pastors.

Interested persons can call Brent Stubbs at 4267265 for more information.

BASEBALL

MARIO FORD CAMP

THE annual Mario Ford Baseball Camp at Windsor Park, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 4-16 years, will be staged every Saturday between the hours of 9:30-11:30am until Saturday, April 18.

Interested persons are urged to contact camp director Mario Bowleg at 556-0993.

BLTA SEASON

OPENER

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association will begin the new year with an under-14 and under-16 tournament at the National Tennis Centre over the weekend of January 23-24.

The event is expected to attract the top male and female players in those age groups as they compete for their national ranking.

UB Mingoes fall to Panthers in straight sets

THE University of the Bahamas Mingoes women’s volleyball team got their four-game winning streak broken with a 3-0 loss to the Panthers in New Providence Volleyball Association (NPVA) action at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Sunday.

UB fell 25-10, 25-20 and 25-19 with the full team back after the Christmas break. The loss drops them to a 4-3 win/loss record in the NPVA.

UB’s assistant coach Shanyhah Bowe said the ladies played a bit timid.

“They were not communicating nor speaking on the court and that showed in the way that they played,” Bowe said. “We the coaching staff told them that the more they talk, the more they have more fun, open up and be more fun on the court. That was their downfall, being timid based on the team they played –the defending champions.” It was a slow start for UB in the first set when they went into a 12-4 hole. UB never recovered as they fell 25-10.

The second set started out more competitive than the first with UB tying the game at five points apiece. They then trailed 16-15. That was as close they got before trailing 22-18 as they dropped that set 25-18.  UB put themselves in an early 8-1 deficit early in the third set. They tried to claw their way back midway in the set trailing 20-14. It was a little too late as the Panthers won 25-19. Middle blocker Garinique Hollingsworth led UB with second total points.

Ferguson and Samaya Tucker chipped in with four points each. The Panthers was led by Sari Albury who finished with nine points. Bowe said they will be looking to work on the service errors and defence before they take on the Technicians at 7pm today at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

Analysts still have ‘VJ’ near the top of the rookie ladder

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

VALDEZ “VJ” Edgecombe kept pushing through the midseason chatter and turned what some called a “rookie wall” into a reminder of why the 76ers invested a top three pick in him.

The 20-year-old guard has been a full-package contributor this season with scoring, creating and defending and his recent stretch shows the sort of steady impact that helps teams win even when a player’s shot isn’t falling every night.

Through the first half of the season, Edgecombe is averaging roughly 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while logging heavy minutes (around 36-37 per night). He has also produced an above-average steal rate (1.5 spg) and has been praised for his defensive instincts and transition scoring. Those counting boxes translate to real value for a Philadelphia team that has leaned on its young wings in stretches without full roster health.

Not every stretch has been smooth. Many flagged

a dip in efficiency and a tougher five-game stretch where Edgecombe’s shooting percentage slid, and critics used the “rookie wall” label. Many debated whether minutes, usage and fatigue were factors. Still, team coverage and league trackers emphasize that the downturn has been a short-term blip rather than a structural failure.

NBA’s Kia Rookie Ladder and other rookie rankings have kept Edgecombe high among his peers, with recent updates placing him inside the Top 5 of the class as other freshmen continue to fight for position. Those rookie-ladder placements reflect both his box-score production and the eye test.

Edgecombe’s voice and his coach’s perspective speak to temperament and upside. Edgecombe has been candid about his mindset: “Philly, I’m proud to be one of you, now.” He has framed his role in team terms: “Whatever coach needs me to do, I’m gonna go do it.”

And when describing the grind that got him here, he said: “There was a time when I didn’t think any of this was possible…They will ALWAYS say, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t.”

Philadelphia’s head coach Nick Nurse has matched that confidence with concrete backing. Nurse has said plainly: “It’s not that surprising to me. I think he’s this good. I thought it right away.”

In discussing usage and team need, Nurse added: “It’s evident how much we need him. The minutes are going to be there. They are going to be at around 40.

He’s got to carry the load. That’s what we ask him to do, and he’s figured it out.”  That combination of production and natural veteran-ship is what keeps the narrative positive even in games where the jumper hasn’t cooperated, Edgecombe has found ways to influence outcomes with late-game plays, defensive possessions, and transition buckets.

Analysts still have him near the top of the rookie ladder, and his early-season historic debut and subsequent consistency keep him in the conversation for end-of-year hardware and long-term team planning.

If the “rookie wall” label has some truth, it’s temporary and fixable. The 76ers sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 23-18 record.

76ers’ rookie Edgecombe rocks the rim and the crowd with posterised dunk over Indiana

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Rookie Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe rocked the basketball with his right hand and posterised a Pacer with a dunk that would have made Dr J proud. Edgecombe tumbled to the floor – yes, the 76ers rookie said, he felt that one – sat up and waved toward the bench. The dunk counted for two points. It shot to No. 1 on the highlight reel of the short NBA career for the No. 3 overall pick out of Baylor. Just don’t expect to see a repeat next month during All-Star weekend.

Edgecombe said he won’t participate in the dunk contest, even as he’s making stupendous plays that have the Sixers in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers were in awe of the throwdown that helped fuel a second-half

Everette ‘Elisha’ Obed Ferguson would have been 74

HAD he been alive, today would have marked the 74th birthday of The Bahamas’ former world boxing champion Everette ‘Elisha’ Obed Ferguson.

Elisha Obed, born January 21, 1952, made history for The Bahamas when he captured the World Boxing Council’s light middleweight title over Miguel de Oliveira in Paris, France.

But according to his longtime friend and former boxing colleague Wellington Miller, it has been over 50 years since Elisha Obed’s and yet, The Bahamas government has not recognised him for his accomplishment.

"In 1996, Mr. George Turner and myself formed a committee to honour Elisha Obed for his outstanding achievement,” Miller said. "Today, almost thirty (30) years later, the needle for his success has had very little movement.

"Over the years, the committee has sent many letters to the powers that be with very little reply. Will this year 2026 pass without Elisha Obed being recognised for his excellent accomplishment over 50 years ago or will history continue to escape the young generation?”

Elisha Obed would have gone on to defend his title twice before losing it to Germany’s Eckhard Dagge in 1976 in a fight that he quit, claiming that he had blurred vision. He said he was thumbed in the eye by Dagge. Later after the fight, it was discovered that Elisha Obed had a detached retina and was legally blind in that eye.

On Thursday, June 28, after a long illness, Elisha Obed passed away at the age of 66.

GSSSA Basketball Regular Season heats up

THE Government Secondary Schools Sports Association continued its basketball regular season action yesterday with a series of games played.

comeback in their 113-104 win over the Pacers. “You must have dunked on someone,” teammate Joel Embiid cracked as the media horde swelled around Edgecombe’s locker. “I haven’t seen this many people around you since you got drafted.”

Edgecombe scored just 11 points — Embiid with 30 points and nine rebounds and Tyrese Maxey with 29 points and eight steals did the heavy lifting. But it was his slam in the third quarter that rocked the rim and more than 18,000 fans present to root on the Sixers. The 6-foot-4 Edgecombe took a feed from Maxey above the 3-point line, drove through the lane and soared high above 6-10 Pacers centre Tony Bradley for the dunk. He was fouled, but missed the free throw. “That hurt,” Edgecombe said. “I landed too hard. It feels good to dunk on somebody. But it hurt because I landed bad.”

No surprise for those who follow him — Edgecombe finished in the draft combine’s top 10 with a 38.5-inch max vertical leap.

Edgecombe has been a welcome addition to the Sixers since he scored 34 points in his NBA debut on opening night against Boston and is since only one of three rookies in the league this season with at least 10 games of 20-plus points.

Edgecombe expected he would be sore in the morning, but ready to go when the Sixers completed a back-to-back Tuesday against Phoenix.

Edgecombe laughed as he joked the dunk wasn't even his best one of the season.

Only no paying customer saw it.

“I've dunked on Jo in practice before,” Edgecombe said as he smiled in Embiid's direction.

“I don't know if you've got any clips, though,” said Edgecombe.

Here’s a look at the scores: CI Gibson GymJr GirlsDW Davis Royals def. HO Nash Lions 27-15. Shalika Smith was the top scorer for DW Davis with 17pts.Jr BoysDW Davis Royals def. HO Nash Lions 68-20. Justin Lafleur led DW Davis with 22 pts.AF Adderley GymJr GirlsCH Reeves Raptors def. TA Thompson Scorpions  16-6. Kiyarah Rolle scored 5pts for CH Reeves. Jr BoysTA Thompson Scorpions def. CH Reeves Raptors 61-35. Keran Simon was the top scorer for TA Thompson with 34 pts.Jr boysAnatol Rodgers Timberwolves def. LW Young Golden Eagles 74-12.

Harden scores 36 as Clippers hold off Wizards for 6th straight victory

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)

— James Harden scored 36 points, and when he finally missed a couple big free throws in the final seconds, the ball came right back to him as the Los Angeles Clippers edged the Washington Wizards 110-106 on Monday for their sixth straight victory.

Harden made two free throws with 36.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a 108-106 lead, and after the teams traded scoreless

possessions, Kyshawn George missed a 3-pointer for Washington. Harden was fouled with 5.9 seconds left. At that point, he was 16 for 16 from the line, but he missed both free throws.

The Wizards couldn’t secure the rebound, and the ball bounced back to Harden, who was fouled again. This time he made both shots to seal the win. Washington has lost seven straight.

Although the two teams have been headed in opposite directions of late, this

game was close basically the whole way. Harden’s layup put the Clippers up by three, but Khris Middleton was fouled while shooting a 3 with 57.6 seconds left, and he made all three free throws to tie it at 106.

The Clippers were without the injured Kawhi Leonard for a second straight game. Trae Young (knee, quad) still hasn’t played since being traded to Washington from Atlanta. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points. George had 18 points, six assists and six

rebounds, but he missed a trio of key shots in the last couple minutes for Washington.

BUCKS 112, HAWKS 110

ATLANTA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points and 17 rebounds and Milwaukee snapped a three-game losing streak, holding off Atlanta after squandering a 23-point lead in the second half.

The Hawks led 105-104 on Jalen Johnson’s 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining before dropping their fourth in a row in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game played in the hometown of the civil rights icon.

AJ Green and Bobby Portis hit back-to-back 3s, Johnson turned the ball over and Antetokounmpo powered inside for a basket that made it 109-105 with 36 seconds to go.

The Hawks still had a chance after Nickeil Alexander-Walker connected from outside the stripe and Ryan Rollins missed a free throw for the Bucks. But CJ McCollum bobbled the ball and wound up flinging an off-balance shot that clanked off the rim to seal it for Milwaukee.

Atlanta nearly won after missing its first 21 shots from 3-point range. The Hawks trailed 54-38 at halftime and 74-51 approaching the midway point of the third period before finally coming to life.

THUNDER 136, CAVALIERS 104

CLEVELAND (AP)

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, Chet Holmgren added 28 and Oklahoma City rolled to a victory over Cleveland.

It is the 30th time in 42 games Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30. The reigning NBA MVP is second in the league in scoring, averaging 31.8 points.

The Thunder — who improved to a league-best 36-8 — tied a season high with 23 3-pointers and made 48.9% from beyond the arc. Luguentz Dort made five 3’s and finished with 18 points, while Isaiah Joe (16 points) and Holmgren made four apiece.

It is Cleveland’s worst loss in a regular-season game in nearly two seasons since Kenny Atkinson became coach. The last time it lost by at least 30 was a 37-point defeat at Miami on March 24, 2024.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 19 points, while Jaylon Tyson had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Jarrett Allen had 16 points in his 600th NBA game.

MAVERICKS 114, KNICKS 97

NEW YORK (AP)

— Max Christie scored a season-high 26 points, Cooper Flagg had 18 in his first pro game at Madison

Square Garden and Dallas rolled to a victory over New York, who were booed frequently in the first half while falling behind by 30.

The Knicks lost their fourth straight and ninth in 11 games, even with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart back from ankle injuries to return them to full strength.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, are missing numerous injured players but the ones who did suit up ran the Knicks off the floor in the first half to win their third straight game. Flagg had missed the previous two, both victories over Utah, with a sprained left ankle.

The No. 1 pick also had seven rebounds, while Naji Marshall scored 18 points.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, and Brunson also had 22 points. Mitchell Robinson had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

SPURS 123, JAZZ 110

SAN ANTONIO (AP)

— Victor Wembanyama had a season-high seven 3-pointers and finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds hours after being named an All-Star starter for the first time as San Antonio beat Utah.

Wembanyama, named to his second All-Star team and the eighth San Antonio player to start, shot 7 for 12 from 3-point distance and finished one shy of his career best, set November 13, 2024, against Washington.

The Spurs had seven players score in double figures in winning their third straight and for the fifth time in seven games.

The backcourt trio of Stephon Castle (18 points), Dylan Harper (15) and De’Aaron Fox (14) combined for 47 points for San Antonio.

Keyonte George had 30 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 20 for Utah.

76ERS 113, PACERS 104

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Tyrese Maxey had 29 points and eight steals hours after being named an All-Star starter for the first time and Joel Embiid had 30 points and nine rebounds to lead Philadelphia to a win over Indiana.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points, and all five starters hit double figures.

Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 25 points and Pascal Siakam had 24 points on a night in which Indiana sports fans were more likely tuned to the college football national championship game.

SUNS 126, NETS 117

NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 27 points, Devin Booker had 23 and Phoenix beat Brooklyn. Collin Gillespie finished with 22 points and Grayson

Allen added 14 off the bench for the Suns, who have won five of their last seven games.

Mark Williams had in 16 points and eight rebounds. Phoenix shot 57% (44 for 77) from the field, including 51% (20 for 39) from long distance. Michael Porter J. scored 23 points to lead the struggling Nets, who have won one of their last eight games.

Noah Clowney had 16 points and reserve Ziaire Williams added 15. PISTONS 104, CELTICS 103

DETROIT (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 25 points and Jaylen Brown missed a jumper just before the buzzer, allowing Detroit to hold on for a win over Boston Celtics in a matchup of teams with the best records in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Duren scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Cade Cunningham had 16 points and 14 assists.

And Duncan Robinson added 15 points for the Central Division-leading Pistons (31-10).

Brown had 32 points on 11-of-28 shooting for the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics (26-16).

WARRIORS 135, HEAT 112 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Jimmy Butler injured his right knee midway through the third quarter of a win Monday night against his former Miami team after he scored 17 points, a big blow for Golden State. Tempers flared with some shoving between the reserves in the closing seconds.

Butler was hurt moments after catching a pass in the paint when he went down hard and awkwardly following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell — who was called for a foul at the 7:41 mark of the third. The knee buckled upon his landing and Butler screamed, grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple of minutes.

He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court and to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors’ offensive end. When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.

Andrew Wiggins had 18 points and five rebounds for Miami in his return to Chase Center, where he helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship. Norman Powell had 21 points as the Heat kicked off a five-game West Coast trip and lost their fourth in a row away from home to drop to 7-14 overall outside South Florida.

The Thunder are winning a ton of games, again, and they don’t let wins, or losses, faze them much

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder should have been angry. It was Saturday night. They had just lost to the Miami Heat 122-120. It was a game that saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get called for a crucial offensive foul with 1:14 remaining (the NBA said a day later it wasn't a foul), the Thunder waste a 12-point lead and referees missing a backcourt violation on Heat guard Norman Powell in the final seconds. Their postgame reaction — the outward one, anyway — could be summed up thusly: Well, darn. The defending NBA champions are winning far more often than they lose; a victory in Cleveland on Monday pushed Oklahoma City's record to 36-8, the best in the league by a wide margin. The Thunder don't get too riled up after wins, they don't get too flustered after losses. They know what matters the most is what's coming in April, May and June, and if they can find lessons along the way to sharpen their toolkits, that's what matters.

“Going through the playoff runs, we’ve been on the scene now for a little bit of time, enough time to be exposed to it and I think the guys have kind of learned the nature of that through the playoffs, really," coach Mark Daigneault said. "It’s a series, you win the game, and everybody on the outside is going to talk about how it was a foregone conclusion that you won and that you’re going to run away with the series. And then the minute you lose a game, it’s the opposite. I think when you’re exposed to that enough, you learn not to trust it.”

The Thunder started the season 24-1, then dropped four of their next six and six of their next 12. For a couple of weeks — gasp! — they looked vulnerable. They lost to San Antonio three times, including in the NBA Cup semifinals. Talk of “the Thunder could break the NBA wins record” became talk of “what's wrong with the Thunder” almost overnight. They're 6-1 since, the one loss in Miami by exactly two points.

“To have those ‘problems...’" Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, clearly

January 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

breaking out the sarcasm about OKC's perceived slump. "Yeah, I think the biggest compliment you can give them — and the thing that just stuns me — is how they can sustain that kind of success and have that kind of success with a young roster. Usually, there’s some kind of agenda with young players. And that’s fine.”

The only agenda seems to be winning.

The Thunder are outscoring teams by 13.5 points per game this season, which is ahead of their NBA-record pace of 12.9 per game set last season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — an All-Star starter, again — is the runaway favorite to repeat as the league's MVP; sure, part of that is given the expectation that Denver's Nikola Jokic may fall short of the league's minimum-games requirement to be eligible for such awards, but Gilgeous-Alexander's averages of nearly 32 points and just over six assists per game are certainly MVP-discussion worthy.

They're an NBA-best 20-2 at home and an NBAbest 16-5 on the road (the NBA Cup game was neutral site).

THUNDER guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, laughs while talking with centre Chet Holmgren, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, January 19, 2026, in Cleveland.

“We trust our process,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We trust our development.” It worked for them last year. Even with a “slump” this year, it's working for them again. They've managed to be unfazed by the noise, whether it's good or bad. They're boring in that sense, in the best possible way. “It’s not that you don’t hear it. We don’t block it out. We can’t block it out," Daigneault said when asked about expectations. "It’s the nature of the questions you get asked. It’s in your face constantly. It’s more about, ‘Can you contextualise it and can you maintain perspective with it?’ And we’ve got a team kind of preconditioned to be pretty neutral. "We try to maintain that environmentally around them with our approach and with the approach that they come in with every single day. But we’ve also got guys that have a pretty healthy emotional thing that doesn’t really go too high or low.”

Saturday, January

NBA announces All-Star Game starters, with first version of US vs The World format now on its way

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

THE first-ever World team for the NBA AllStar Game is already looking loaded. And the fate of LeBron James' record streak of All-Star selections will now be decided by coaches, or perhaps even Commissioner Adam Silver.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver's Nikola Jokic, the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama were among those announced Monday as starters — an inexact term this year — for next month's All-Star Game at the Los Angeles Clippers' home arena in Inglewood, California. They're likely heading to the World team, which will take on two teams of U.S. players as part of yet another new format for the midseason showcase.

The NBA announced 10 starters, five from each conference. Golden State's Stephen Curry, New York's

Jalen Brunson, Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey and Boston's Jaylen Brown all are presumably headed to the US squads that will play in the three-team, round-robin tournament on February 15 — all 12-minute mini-games, with the top two teams advancing to a 12-minute championship game.

“It’s still as special as the first one was, honestly," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the All-Star nod. "I grew up watching All-Star games as a kid, dreaming about playing in them. To be able to play in them will always have that same feeling. All the players that I looked up to, that I imitated my game after, played in those games, played on that stage. And for me to be able do so, it’s a blessing and an honour.”

Starters were selected through a weighted formula, with fan voting counting for 50% of a player’s ranking, the votes of a 100-member panel of broadcasters and reporters counting for 25% and voting by NBA players themselves counting for the remaining 25%.

Doncic got the most fan votes with about 3.4 million, with Antetokounmpo next at around 3.2 million. Wembanyama and Minnesota's Anthony Edwards tied for the fifth Western Conference starter spot; the nod went to Wembanyama because he had the edge over Edwards in fan voting. The U.S. vs. the World concept was talked about for years before finally becoming a reality this season. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association unveiled the long-awaited plan earlier this season, after trying yet again to figure out the latest way to spark renewed interest in the game. It seemed like the right time to try a game with national pride at stake, given that it'll happen this year around the midway point of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The NBA's All-Star events, like the Olympics in the U.S., will all be broadcast on NBC’s family of networks. What is the format? There will be three teams of at least eight players.

Games will be one standard NBA quarter, or 12 minutes long.

Team A will play Team B in Game 1. The winner of that game will play Team C in Game 2. The loser of Game 1 will play Team C in Game 3. The teams with the best two records will play in the championship game. If all three teams are 1-1, point differential would be the tiebreaker.

Where things stand

The league typically has 10 starters picked by the weighted formula voting, then 14 reserves by the coaches, and that’s also the case this year.

It’s just different.

In a standard All-Star Game — two teams, 12 players per side — the old voting formula works out perfectly. But this is three teams, with eight players per side. That means at least 15 players will “start” a game in the All-Star tournament.

Therefore, it’s guaranteed that some players who weren’t announced as starters Monday will be starting on February 15. And it is possible that some rosters

may have more than eight players, if the NBA needs to keep adding in order to get to 16 on the U.S. side or eight on the World side. LeBron's status James, for the first time in 22 years, wasn't among the group selected as a starter. His record run of 20 consecutive All-Star Game appearances — not selections, that streak continued — ended last season when he bowed out of another mini-tournament format citing foot and ankle injuries. He could still make it as a reserve, with those 14 spots to be decided by a polling of NBA head coaches. And he also could

get an invite as an injury replacement if one is needed, with Silver picking those players when necessary. James is in his record-setting 23rd season. His record streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended in December, and he has already missed 17 games — meaning he'll probably have to play in every Lakers game for the rest of the season to be eligible for most postseason awards like All-NBA honours. James has been an All-NBA selection in 21 of his first 22 seasons, including a second-teamer last season.

Manchester City stunned by tiny Bodø/Glimt in huge Champions League upset, Arsenal

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer MANCHESTER

City

lost 3-1 at tiny Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt in one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history yesterday, while defending champion Paris Saint-Germain also was on the end of an unexpected defeat at Sporting Lisbon.

Vinícius Júnior turned jeers from his own fans to cheers by scoring for Real Madrid in a 6-1 win over Monaco and Arsenal became the first team to secure direct qualification for the round of 16 after a 3-1 victory at Inter Milan, maintaining its 100% record in the league stage after seven rounds.

Pep Guardiola's squad of City superstars was humbled inside an 8,000-capacity stadium in Bodø, a Norwegian fishing town north of the Arctic Circle whose soccer team is playing in the Champions League for the first time this season.

City fell 3-0 behind at one point and had 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri sent off in the second half.

“In the end, it’s embarrassing,” said City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, whose team was coming off an abject derby loss to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

After Kasper Høgh's first-half double for Bodø/ Glimt, Jens Petter Hauge curled into the top corner in the 58th to make it 3-0.

into round of 16

City replied through Rayan Cherki but hopes of a comeback were damaged soon after by Rodri collecting two yellow cards in quick succession.

City didn’t look like a team that has had $500 million spent on players over the last 12 months, with its flimsy, injury-hit defence constantly pierced on the counterattack. The hosts had two would-be goals disallowed for narrow offside decisions and also hit the crossbar.

Add this upset to the most unlikely results down the years in the Champions League. They include Moldovan club Sheriff beating Real Madrid 2-1 in 2021, Rubin Kazan winning 2-1 at Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2009, and Swiss underdog Basel beating Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United by the same score in 2011.

PSG struggling Colombia international Luis Suarez's 90th-minute goal earned Sporting a 2-1 win over PSG, which — like City — now has work to do in next week's final round to qualify automatically to the last 16 by finishing in the top eight and avoid needing to go through the two-legged playoffs for a second straight season. That was Suarez's second goal of the game. He put Sporting ahead before an equaliser by substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

PSG, which became European champion for the first time last season, dropped to fifth and City to seventh — and they are

likely to slip lower after today's games.

Arbeloa's debut Alvaro Arbeloa, Madrid's new coach, was taking charge of a Champions League game for the first time and it was again an unusual atmosphere at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Part of the crowd jeered Vinícius nearly every time he touched the ball, like during Saturday's win over Levante in the Spanish league. The Brazil forward has been having an underwhelming season and some

fans view him as one of the reasons why coach Xabi Alonso was replaced last week.

However, the home fans were applauding Vinícius after his solo goal that made it 5-0 in the 63rd minute. Kylian Mbappé, with a double against his first club, and 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono had already scored for Madrid and Jude Bellingham grabbed its sixth goal.

Madrid, the record 15-time champion, climbed to second place.

Arsenal advances Arsenal is now on its longest-ever winning streak in the Champions League and is guaranteed a toptwo finish. Gabriel Jesus scored the first two goals for the Premier League leaders and the man he started ahead of — Viktor Gyokeres — came off the bench to net the third. Petar Sucic had made it 1-1 with a goal for Inter, the heavily beaten finalist last season which has lost three straight games in the competition for the first time. Inter slipped to ninth place.

Respite for Frank Eleven teams in the Champions League have changed coaches already this season and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank was being tipped as the next to go heading into a home match against Borussia Dortmund.

However, Spurs won 2-0 against the 2024 runner-up, which had midfielder Daniel Svensson sent off in the first half, to give Frank some respite and move into

fourth place. The Dane has been jeered by Tottenham’s own fans in recent games.

Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke scored Tottenham’s goals. Napoli in danger The Italian champions are in danger of elimination. Napoli was held to a 1-1 draw at 10-man FC Copenhagen and dropped to 23rd place before today’s games. Those finishing 25th or lower in the 36-team standings won’t even qualify for the playoffs. Copenhagen had captain Thomas Delaney sent off after a VAR check in the 35th and went behind to Scott McTominay’s goal four minutes later. Jordan Larsson equalised.

Winless teams It’s turning into a miserable debut in the Champions League for Kairat Almaty, which lost 4-1 to Club Brugge to stay in last place in the 36-team standings and is one of three teams without a win so far. Another is Villarreal, which conceded in the 89th to lose 2-1 to Ajax.

Naomi Osaka makes grand entrance and big fashion statement at Australian Open

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer

MELBOURNE, Aus-

tralia (AP) — A statement of confidence as much as style, Naomi Osaka walked onto one of the biggest stages in tennis wearing a wide-brim hat, a veil and holding a white parasol in a bold opening act at the Australian Open.

Aware that such an iconic walk-on could backfire if she lost her firstround match, Osaka did everything she needed yesterday to bring down the curtain on Day 3 at Rod Laver Arena with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Antonia Ruzic.

The hat and umbrella were adorned with symbolic butterflies, a nod to one of the memorable moments of Osaka's last title run at Melbourne Park in 2021 rather than a reflection of the usual first-round jitters at a major tournament.

“When I was playing today,

I just told myself, like, ‘Keep your head on the path. If she beats you, then that’s unfortunate. But, hey, at least you’re trending,'" on social media, she said. Osaka has won four Grand Slam singles titles, including two at the U.S. Open and two in Australia in 2019 and 2021.

She next plays Sorana Cirstea, who beat Eva Lys 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. After reaching the U.S. Open semifinals last year — her best result at a Grand Slam event in four years — Osaka is growing in confidence.

Born in Japan but growing up in America, Osaka was inspired by Venus and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, the tennis stars she described as the “G.O.A.T's of style.”

“I think it all comes down to personality, too,” she said. The dress she wore in her first-round match, in shades of blue and green, was also a tribute to her daughter, Shai, and her fascination

with jellyfish. “So, the inspiration was obviously the jellyfish, then butterflies, which kind of ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,” Osaka said, recalling the images of one landing

tunnel at Rod Laver Arena that reflects Australian themes such as beaches and the coast.

“Honestly it came together quite beautifully because I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here,” Osaka said.

on her during a third-round match.

Osaka said her clothing sponsor, Nike, “let me design this one.”

It took months of planning. And it all tied in with the remodeled player

"Then it just felt like everywhere I looked the theme was water. Obviously the walkout was like you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful. Really amazing coincidence.”

Sinner wins

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two sets and just over an hour of tennis wasn't what Jannik Sinner

wanted at Rod Laver Arena for the start of his bid for an Australian Open three-peat. In his first competitive match since beating Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals in November, Sinner was leading 6-2, 6-1 when No. 93-ranked Hugo Gaston suddenly retired from their match Tuesday night with an undisclosed injury.

“I saw that he was not serving with a very high pace,” Sinner said, but “it’s not the way you want to win the match.”

Sinner is aiming to become the fourth player to win three consecutive men's titles at the Australian Open.

Mendoza’s clutch play against Miami leads undefeated Indiana to its 1st national title

By MAURA CAREY

AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — An historic season for Fernando Mendoza ended with a national title.

The Heisman Trophy winner didn't have his best statistical game Monday night, but he came up big when it mattered. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and ran the ball six times, one of which was for a pivotal 12-yard touchdown.

Offensive momentum slowed for Indiana in the third quarter and the Hoosiers punted three times. Mendoza had zero passing yards and was sacked three times.

Early in the fourth, the Hurricanes cut a game-long deficit to three points after a 3-yard rushing score from Mark Fletcher Jr.

But then Mendoza rose to the occasion. He led the Hoosiers on a 12-play, 75-yard drive. He converted two crucial fourth downs, hitting Charlie Becker for

an improbable 19-yard reception on a 4th-and-5, and less than a minute later, ran the ball in for a 12-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-4. It wasn't an easy trip into the end zone. Jakobe Thomas and Wesley Bissainthe collided with Mendoza hard enough for him to nearly topple over. But he caught himself with his hand.

With Ahmad Moten Sr. on his tail, and Mohamed Toure and Xavier Lucas closing in, the 6-foot-5 quarterback used every inch to arch over into the end zone.

“I’ll die for my team," Mendoza said. "Whatever they need me to do, they need me to take a shot to the front or back, I’m going to die for my team out there because I know they’ll do the same thing for me. That’s what makes this national championship so special.”

It was the type of play that has surprised competitors all season long. Mendoza, known as a pocket passer, can weave through a defence on

He averaged 3.4

season, and including the title game, has rushed for seven TDs.

Coach Curt Cignetti said the play was installed specifically for this game.

“We put it in for this game," Cignetti said after Indiana claimed its first national title. "It was a quarterback draw, but it was blocked differently. And we rolled the dice and said they’re going to be in (the same defence) again. We blocked it well, he broke a tackle or two and got into the end zone.”

The Hurricanes responded with a touchdown on the ensuing drive, but Mendoza responded accordingly. He found Becker for a near-identical 19-yard catch on a critical third down. It extended the drive long enough to give Indiana the chance to convert a 35-yard field goal and take a 27-21 lead. On the next drive, Jamari Sharpe picked off Miami quarterback Carson Beck to ice the game. Mendoza did it all in front of Raiders owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady — all in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium. If the Raiders use their No. 1 pick on Mendoza, he would become the sixth quarterback to win the Heisman, national championship and be drafted first overall.