Getty Images Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden decided to try a new form of defense late in the third quarter of the contest between the Sixers and Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon.  With just under two minutes remaining in the quarter, Harden was seated on Philly’s bench and jumped directly onto the floor to deflect a pass from Bones …

Who’s Playing Western Kentucky @ Florida Atlantic Current Records: Western Kentucky 11-10; Florida Atlantic 20-1 What to Know Get ready for a Conference USA battle as the #21 Florida Atlantic Owls and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will face off at 4 p.m. ET Saturday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. The Owls are out to keep their 12-game home win streak …

Like many modern-day conspiracy theories, the one involving Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. began on the Internet by an anonymous poster on Reddit. The redditor, u/AdMassive6666, posted early Saturday morning a 1,589-word missive titled “MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES SCOREKEEPER POSTING FRAUDULENT NUMBERS FOR DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR LEADER JAREN JACKSON JR.” Within, the redditor points out that Jackson has almost twice …

College basketball seasons are filled with unexpected twists and turns that can disrupt or even destroy the best-laid plans. Torn ACLs. High ankle sprains. Fractured wrists. Arrests. Suspensions. Academic issues. You name it, it’s possible. At Creighton, it was mononucleosis. Seriously. The Bluejays’ best player, Ryan Kalkbrenner, was diagnosed with mononucleosis in early December and sidelined for three games. In …

Getty Images Myles Turner has agreed to a two-year, $58 million contract extension with the Indiana Pacers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The deal comes with an interesting and unique construction. Because the Pacers are under the salary cap, they can effectively front-load Turner’s new deal using the league’s renegotiate-and-extend mechanic. While Turner has guaranteed himself $58 million in …

A chaotic start to the college basketball slate on Saturday after the No. 12, No. 13 and No. 15-ranked teams all lost to unranked opponents continued into the afternoon slate with a stunner as unranked Oklahoma walloped No. 2 Alabama 93-69 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Norman, Oklahoma. OU led for all but 29 seconds inside its own arena …

3 observations after Embiid drops 47 points vs. Jokic, Sixers win 7th straight originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Joel Embiid was not second best in any way Saturday afternoon. The MVP runner-up the last two seasons turned in an incredible performance at Wells Fargo Center to lift the Sixers to a 126-119 win over the Nuggets. The team is …

Who’s Playing Arizona @ Washington Current Records: Arizona 18-3; Washington 13-9 What to Know The Washington Huskies are 3-11 against the #6 Arizona Wildcats since January of 2016, but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit Saturday. Washington and the Wildcats will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 5:30 p.m. ET at Alaska Airlines Arena. …

The West Virginia Mountaineers will be looking to build on their 76-61 win at Texas Tech when they face the No. 15 Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon during the 2023 SEC/Big 12 Challenge. WVU has won two of its last three games, but it is still in eighth place in the Big 12. Auburn had its five-game winning streak snapped in …

Who’s Playing Nevada @ UNLV Current Records: Nevada 16-5; UNLV 13-7 What to Know The Nevada Wolf Pack lost both of their matches to the UNLV Rebels last season on scores of 58-69 and 54-62, so they’re hoping to turn the tables this season. The Wolf Pack and UNLV will face off in a Mountain West battle at 10 p.m. …

Forsberg: Stevens thinks C’s are ‘in the mix,’ but examining trade options originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is happy with where his team stands through 50 games but acknowledged the potential for growth and suggested the team will ponder options to fortify its depth in advance of next month’s trade deadline. During …

Who’s Playing California @ Stanford Current Records: California 3-17; Stanford 8-12 What to Know The California Golden Bears have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. The Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 10 p.m. ET Saturday at Maples Pavilion. Stanford …

Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a defensive monster since coming back from foot surgery, something obvious by the eye test but backed up by impressive stats: 3.1 blocks and a steal a game, opposing players are shooting 44% on shots he contests and when he is on the court the Grizzlies have. 106.8 defensive …

Who’s Playing Saint Mary’s @ Brigham Young Current Records: Saint Mary’s 18-4; Brigham Young 14-9 What to Know The #22 Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Brigham Young Cougars are set to square off in a West Coast matchup at 10 p.m. ET Jan. 28 at Marriott Center. The teams split their matchups last year, with BYU winning the first 52-43 …

Who’s Playing Cal State Fullerton @ Cal Poly Current Records: Cal State Fullerton 11-11; Cal Poly 7-14 What to Know The Cal Poly Mustangs are 3-9 against the Cal State Fullerton Titans since January of 2016, but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit Saturday. Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton will face off in a …

The Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon as they look to continue their winning ways. While the NBA world will have its eyes fixated on the center matchup, these two teams enter a battle among the top in the league. Joel Embiid, who was listed as questionable for this one due to left foot …

Who’s Playing Montana @ Portland State Current Records: Montana 9-12; Portland State 9-12 What to Know A Big Sky battle is on tap between the Montana Grizzlies and the Portland State Vikings at 10 p.m. ET Saturday at The Viking Pavilion. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’ …

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has been ruled out for Saturdays’ game against the New York Knicks according to the team. Simmons was ruled out due to left knee soreness. Simmons left Thursday’s 130-122 loss to the Detroit Pistons with 6:40 left in the third quarter and did not return because of that troublesome knee. This will be the 12th …

Who’s Playing Montana State @ Sacramento State Current Records: Montana State 14-8; Sacramento State 12-9 What to Know The Montana State Bobcats won both of their matches against the Sacramento State Hornets last season (75-69 and 83-61) and are aiming for the same result Saturday. Montana State is on the road again Saturday and plays against Sacramento State at 10 …

It’s rare to see such a large slate on a Saturday, but here we are! We have 11 games in total, with nine making up the main card starting at 7ET. That leaves us with plenty of players to pick from, but there’s one team we want to exploit. It’ll be easy to understand who that is, so let’s get …

Getty Images No. 3 Houston will be out to defend its home court Saturday when it plays host to Cincinnati in an AAC showdown on CBS. The Cougars suffered a stunning upset loss to Temple last Sunday in their most recent game at the Fertitta Center. The defeat dropped Houston out of the top spot in the national rankings and ruined …

Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau / USA TODAY Sports/SNY Treated Image The expectations for the 2022-23 Knicks are clear: a playoff berth. That comes from Knicks governor James Dolan, who spoke about the Knicks during a wide-ranging interview Friday on WFAN’s Carton & Roberts Show. “I think our expectations should be that the team makes the playoffs,” Dolan said. When …

Who’s Playing San Francisco @ San Diego Current Records: San Francisco 14-9; San Diego 10-12 What to Know After three games on the road, the San Diego Toreros are heading back home. The Toreros and the San Francisco Dons will face off in a West Coast battle at 10 p.m. ET Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Both teams come into …

Denver Nuggets v Milwaukee Bucks A year ago, it felt like the Nuggets had found their long-term backup point guard in rookie Bones Hyland, a guy who could be part of the rotation when Jamal Murray returned. Except, in his second season, Hyland hasn’t taken a step forward — although his play has been better and more aggressive in recent …

Who’s Playing Colorado @ Oregon State Current Records: Colorado 12-10; Oregon State 8-13 What to Know The Oregon State Beavers haven’t won a game against the Colorado Buffaloes since March 13 of 2021, but they’ll be looking to end the drought Saturday. Oregon State and Colorado will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 10:30 p.m. ET at Gill Coliseum. …