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Digital Sports Desk

Big East Break – January 10th

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STORRS – (Wire Service Preview) – After a two-day break, BIG EAST men’s basketball returns with five games – and 10 of its 11 teams in action – on Saturday. The full day of action begins with a doubleheader on TNT and truTV, as DePaul visits UConn at 12:30 p.m. ET. In the second game, Villanova travels to Marquette for a 2:30 p.m. ET start. Marquette head coach Shaka Smart will be wired for sound throughout the game, adding a unique perspective to the matchup in Milwaukee.

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The first of three games airing on FS1 begins at 2 p.m. ET as St. John’s heads to Creighton. That game is followed by Providence at Xavier at 4 p.m. ET and is capped off by a 6 p.m. ET matchup as Seton Hall takes on Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, Jan. 10

TNT & truTV
DePaul at UConn – 12:30 p.m. ET
Spero Dedes (pxp); Greg Anthony (analyst)

Villanova at Marquette – 2:30 p.m. ET
Brian Anderson (pxp); Grant Hill (analyst)

FS1
St. John’s at Creighton – 2 p.m. ET
Tim Brando (pxp); Donny Marshall (analyst)

Providence at Xavier – 4 p.m. ET
Connor Onion (pxp); Nick Bahe (analyst)

Seton Hall at Georgetown – 6 p.m. ET
Chris Vosters (pxp); Tarik Turner (analyst)

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Looking Ahead: The BIG EAST is off on Sunday, Jan. 11 and returns to action with four games on Tuesday, Jan. 13: Villanova at Providence, Marquette at St. John’s, Connecticut at Seton Hall, and Georgetown at Creighton.

Pats v. Chargers: “It Starts with the D”

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Since Sunday night’s AFC wild-card matchup between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, one of the key questions entering the matchup is this: Which team’s pass rush will be able to apply the most pressure?

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Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked 54 times in 16 games, and New England’s Drake Maye was sacked 47 times in 17 games. Those were the third- and fourth-most sacks against a quarterback during the regular season.

The seventh-seeded Chargers (11-6) have used 32 combinations on their injury-ravaged offensive line this season — more than any other team — and played much of the season without starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, both of whom are on injured reserve.

Los Angeles has allowed 60 sacks over its season when factoring in the six backup Trey Lance took last week while Herbert sat.

Second-seeded New England (14-3) is one of five teams that tied for 22nd in the NFL in sacks with 35. The team’s sack leaders are linebacker Harold Landry III (8.5) and linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (7.5). Landry, who missed the last two games with a knee injury, returned to practice this week in a limited capacity and is questionable for Sunday.

“I don’t think that’s ever something you can tell in practice,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said when asked about his team’s pass rush. “You gotta go out there and win in live action, and not only win, you have to be able to get the guy on the ground. Justin’s just a great player — strength, toughness. He can avoid and scramble for a lot of yards. So again, I think that’ll have to be determined Sunday night.”

Maye, an MVP candidate, led the league with a 72.0 completion percentage this season, but will be facing a Chargers defense that tied for 10th in the league with 45 sacks.

Linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu led the team with 13 sacks, and linebacker Odafe Oweh collected 7.5 sacks in 12 games after being acquired in an October trade with the Ravens.

New England has started two rookies — guard Jared Wilson and tackle Will Campbell — on the left side of the line for most of the season. The Patriots have surrendered 48 sacks.

Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh said he has a lot of confidence in his team’s defense.

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“It starts with the players, then it’s (defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s) ability and our defensive coaches’ ability to put them in spots to make plays, to be most effective,” Harbaugh said. “The understanding of the defense (is what gives me confidence). I know there will be some wrinkles as well.”

Los Angeles finished the regular season 12th in total offense (333.8), 20th in points per game (21.6), fifth in total defense (285.2) and ninth in points allowed per game (20.0).

New England was third in total offense (379.4), second in points per game (28.8), eighth in total defense (295.2) and fourth in points allowed per game (18.8).

“I’m happy, I’m excited, but also, we’re not here just to be here,” Vrabel said. “We have to be able to host games and compete for championships. There’s not going to be any consolation prize for anybody. We understand what we have to do.”

The Chargers ruled out two backups on Friday, wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) and safety Kendall Williamson (ankle). Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who sat out two days of practice with an ankle injury and returned Friday in a limited capacity, is listed as questionable, along with backup tackle Austin Deculus (oblique), tight end Tucker Fisk (ankle), linebackers Bud Dupree (hamstring) and Del’Shawn Phillips (hamstring) and defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring).

The Patriots have only ruled out defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga (foot). Joining Landry as questionable are wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring), offensive lineman Thayer Munford Jr. (knee) and cornerback Alex Austin (wrist).

–Field Level Media

 

Nuggets Tough on the Road

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Nuggets 114, Celtics 110

BOSTON – (staff and Wire Service Report) – Wrong Peyton.

Denver’s Peyton Watson scored 30 points and Jamal Murray added 22 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 17 assists to lead visiting Nuggets over the Boston Celtics for the Nuggets’ NBA-best 15th road victory.

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Watson made six of his seven 3-point attempts, including a 3-pointer that put Denver up 106-93 with 2:24 to play. Watson has scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games. Denver’s Nikola Jokic missed his fifth straight game with a knee injury. The Nuggets have a 3-2 record without him.

Boston received a game-high 33 points along with seven rebounds and four assists from Jaylen Brown, who also committed seven turnovers. Neemias Queta had six points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the Celtics. Ten of Queta’s 20 rebounds came at the offensive end.

“Traed” Young

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ATLANTA – (Wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks traded four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, multiple outlets reported Wednesday night. The return package from Washington included veteran guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert.

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Young, 27, has spent his entire career in Atlanta since he was acquired via from Dallas immediately after the Mavericks selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020-21 season, but they followed with first-round exits the following two seasons and have been eliminated in the play-in the last two seasons.

Young, the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (4,837) and 3-pointers made (1,295), has averaged 25.2 points, 9.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and one steal per contest over 493 games (all starts) with the Hawks.

However, he’s played just 10 of the team’s 39 games this season, missing an extended stretch with a sprained MCL and sitting out currently due to a right quad contusion.

The Hawks (18-21) were 2-8 in the 10 games Young played this season and are currently positioned for the play-in for the third straight year as the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.

McCollum, 34, is in his first season with the Wizards after spending much of his career in Portland (2013-22) and the last three-plus seasons in New Orleans (2022-25).

The 2015-16 Most Improved Player, McCollum is averaging 18.8 points (his fewest since 2014-15) and 3.6 assists over 35 games this season.

Kispert, 26, was selected 15th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by Washington. He’s averaged 10.9 points and shot 38.3% from outside the arc in 311 games (105 starts) spanning five seasons with the Wizards.

He’s averaging 9.2 points and shooting 39.5% from 3-point range this season.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Scorched in Seattle

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SEATTLE – Seattle’s Berkly Catton scored the first two goals of his NHL career as the Seattle Kraken torched the visiting Boston Bruins 7-4 on Tuesday night.

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Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist, Jared McCann had one of each, Jordan Eberle and Ben Meyers also scored, and Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Freddy Gaudreau had two assists apiece for the Kraken, who extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1). Goaltender Joey Daccord made 32 saves.

David Pastrnak tallied twice, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and Mason Lohrei also scored for the Bruins, who wrapped up a five-game trip in which they went 2-2-1. Jeremy Swayman stopped 20 of 26 shots as Boston saw a two-game winning streak and a three-game point streak snapped.

The 19-year-old Catton was the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and was playing in his 28th game, broke a 1-all tie at 2:48 of the second period. Catton carried the puck over the blue line on the right wing and sent a drop pass to McCann, who immediately passed back to the rookie. Catton’s slap shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle deflected off the heel of Swayman’s blocker and into the net.

Catton scored his second on the power play at 14:20 of the third to make it 6-2. He took a pass from Gaudreau, broke in alone on Swayman and lifted a backhander off the right post and just under the crossbar.

The teams traded goals in the first period.

Seattle struck first at 8:50 as Eberle tallied on a 5-on-3 power play.

Pastrnak tied it at 12:47, faking a slap shot and putting a wrister into the upper-right corner of the net.

After Catton gave Seattle the lead, Pastrnak tied it a second time off a nifty backhanded cross-ice pass from Charlie McAvoy.

The Kraken regained the lead at 18:23 as Tye Kartye, back in the lineup with Eeli Tolvanen a late scratch because of illness, stole the puck behind the Boston net and sent a backhanded pass to Meyers for a one-timer from the slot.

The Kraken extended their lead to 4-2 on a buzzer-beating slap shot from the right point by McCann on the power play. A video review determined the puck entered the net with 0.5 seconds left in the second period.

The teams combined for five goals in the final half of the third period.

Kakko tallied at 10:21, followed by Catton.

Lohrei scored off a scramble in front of the net at 14:50 and Arvidsson on a power play at 17:38 to pull the Bruins within 6-4.

Kakko fired the puck into an empty net at 19:48 to cap the scoring.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 4

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are some really tough jobs in the sports industry. They are often thankless and low paying in comparison to what someone would make in a similar position “in the real world.” So many of the jobs in sports require extra long hours, working every weekend and holiday and being away from family on important dates (graduations, weddings, birthdays) and many of the holidays.

That is the price you pay for a challenging job in sports, hearing the “roar of the crowd,” and you usually know the job description and travel requirements before you sign up.

To be successful on the job, you need a tremendous support system behind the job and that is the family – a very understanding family to say the least.

Looking at tough jobs, there’s Charlie Baker of the NCAA.

Baker is the former Governor of Massachusetts and current president of the NCAA. He served two terms in the Commonwealth and signed up with the NCAA in March, 2023. He has an impossible job – the kind that has zero chance of being 100% successful as he serves far too many constituents in the world of collegiate athletics.

Simply put, Baker has too many mouths to feed. He also has four Power 4 obstacle courses to navigate (remember when it was Power 5 – a la the Pac 10-12)? Yes, the commissioners of the Power 4 football conferences, along with the newly created hierarchy of the College Football Playoffs, undermines the power of the NCAA. And, it’s getting worse by the day, by the season – across more sports than just football.

Local Boston sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy had a chance to sit down with the former Guv’nah and asked about the thankless job Baker endures: “There’s a lot about it that’s frustrating,” Baker said to Shaughnessy over lunch last week. “But I spent most of my career in healthcare and government, and those can be frustrating environments, as well. OK?“

Shaughnessy also sought insight from Peter Roby, a lifelong sports administrator as A.D. at Northeastern and Dartmouth who spent a five-year stint on the NCAA committee for men’s basketball and Roby did not disappoint: “No one talks about education or personal development at the highest levels. It’s about transfer portal, NIL revenue sharing, and the need for congressional intervention. Schools continue to complain about rising costs and the need for more revenue, yet they are paying out multimillion-dollar buyouts for fired coaches and hiring coaches at $12 million per year.

“The way things are trending, the NCAA will not exist in its current form in the next few years. It will only manage sports championships. All the legal settlements have resulted in billions of dollars being paid out over the next 10 years, and that money is coming from the NCAA and member schools. This has resulted in (fewer) programs being offered to students, coaches, and administrators by the NCAA, while rendering the NCAA powerless to pass overarching legislation or enforce current rules for fear of more litigation. All of this comes as a result of the failure of (University) presidential leadership and overreach by boards of trustees,” said Roby.

As the NCAA has morphed into a championship event organizing company – and a good one at that – the rest of the US collegiate sports industry turns its lonely eyes to yesteryear, seeking some common sense rules and general leadership. But, with the landscape and mega-dollars going the way they’re going (straight up – 📈), Baker has no chance to succeed as the head of a true national governing body for college sports.

Caught directly in the crosshairs is Division I collegiate basketball. They’re playing at the mercy of the big brother and major money-maker of football and the power has been slip-sliding away. Only the commissioners of the Power 4, the BIG EAST and West Coast Conferences stand a chance at carving out some reasonable existence in this big, bad world of footy-driven administration.

What does that leave to the (formerly) powerful National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)?

It leaves them to do what they do best – Complain but do nothing.

The complainer-in-chief is Coach John Calapiri, the head coach of Arkansas (after see-saw stints as head coach at UMass, Memphis, Kentucky and a pro try-out with the (then) New Jersey, now Brooklyn Nets franchise.

Typing a transcript of Coach Cal’s December 29 beef would not do it justice, so here it is to watch and listen ‘til your heart’s delight:

Isn’t that fabulous? Calipari turned a Fayetteville, Arkansas post-game press availability into a cry for help at the U.S. Capitol or Arkansas State House. While some called it a tirade or rant, I’d label it as pleading for help, for leadership in athletics and guidance to police the college coaches from themselves.

You really have to agree with Coach Cal or UConn Coach Danny Hurley who suggested college basketball “could really use a commissioner.” A commissioner for college basketball (one job) would need to hire a No. 2a and 2b to oversee the men’s and women’s divisions, while also needing a top-notch labor lawyer. Properly done, college basketball could then former a Labor Relations Board who could hammer-out a common sense, reasonable Collective Bargaining Agreement which would even the playing field and account for USA citizens and international students. (Note: Calipari kept singling out European players, but there’s talent coming from every corner of the globe and most have never heard of an NCAA handbook.

“It’s such an incredible sport,” said Hurley. ““We’ve got the greatest sport(ing) event that this country has on a yearly basis that catches the imagination of the whole country, casuals, non-sports fans. Everyone’s got a bracket. You’ve got this incredible product that’s marketed horribly outside of March. It’s an incredible sport. We need a commissioner.

“A (Roger) Goodell or a David Stern. Somebody that’s gonna make decisions and start making moves that are in the best interest of college basketball, not just having coaches and players do what’s in the best interest of them,” said the outspoken Hurley.

Upon further review, it must be said that the college football and “Olympic sports” side would be much tougher to resolve than the problems of basketball and it’s not realistic to name a “Commissioner” for every sport, all reporting into Baker and it’s quite evident, in football, no one is going to give up power and that includes the highly paid commissioners of the Power 4, Notre Dame (as a whole), the TV industry (with existing or future contracts in hand), school presidents and athletic directors and a growing breed of player agents. All have their piece of the pie and aren’t planning to give up a slice.

Plus: what’s good for college football or basketball won’t work for baseball or softball and rules for all of the sports above (football, baseball, basketball, and softball) might not be good for college soccer or tennis or lacrosse or swimming or volleyball and so on. And, what’s great for the Big 12 might not work in the Atlantic 10.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few went so far as to suggest Congress weigh-in on the issue, saying, “Our lack of leadership has really shown,” Few said last Sunday after his team beat Pepperdine University 96-56. “Now it’s probably time to get some help from Congress, but they’re more screwed up than the NCAA.”

As it relates to Baylor’s signing of James Nnaji, the NCAA issued a prepared statement to college basketball site “Field of 68″,” declaring: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country, wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”

Congress considered one small slice of the debate earlier this year, as the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsement (SCORE) Act fractured the Republican side of the aisle and garnered opposition from Democrats. Earlier this month, House leadership canceled a vote on the SCORE Act, which would have regulated compensation student-athletes receive from NIL deals.

Earlier, the College Athletics Reform Act (CARA) was introduced by Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Mass-5th), and the bill attempted to protect athletes’ rights and create a sustainable system for college sports. It included provisions to establish federal standards for NIL rights and enhance opportunities for women’s and Olympic sports. It went nowhere.

So much for Congressional relief.

What’s the solution?

Here’s WWYI’s take for a road map to sanity:

  1. Take Hurley’s recommendation and hire a Commissioner for NCAA Basketball.
  2. That job should go to Joel Litvin, former President of Basketball for the NBA.
  3. Allow Litvin to hire any combination of labor lawyers, advisors and “basketball people” to become his Labor Relations Board (include Jim Tooley/Sean Ford of USA Basketball, Tommy Amaker, head coach at Harvard, retired Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Stu Jackson, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference. An advisor named Russ Granik would chair the meetings and head up the Labor board for both men and women.
  4. Prompt the basketball players (both men and women) to hire labor lawyers.
  5. Negotiate a fair Collective Bargaining Agreement to govern the sport(s).
  6. Prompt the NABC to form a labor division.
  7. Negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the coaches.
  8. Name Dan Gavitt as the head of NCAA men’s basketball championships, a job he’s done quite well with since 2012.
  9. Continue with Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee, to chair the women’s committee for championships.
  10. In addition to her role as Commissioner of the BIG EAST, ask Val Ackerman to chair the Labor Relations Board for women’s basketball.

Executing the items from the Top Ten list will take some serious doing and it would be followed by months and months of very hard work and lengthy negotiations, but it will set a firm, new path to actual sanity for the sport of college basketball. It would set clear-cut rules for basketball operations, the signing of players and payment structure. It would address incoming players, both transfers and first-year (domestic and international). It would institute a maximum team salary cap for schools to operate and abide by, and that could be done conference-by-conference with different salary levels for Div. II and III. It’s not a cookie cutter approach.

Once negotiated, Litvin would oversee the entire legal, basketball and business operation of the NCAA division for basketball on an on-going basis with the staff of his choosing to govern both men’s and women’s basketball

The Patriots parted with Bill Belichick, giving Jerod Mayo a one-year audition as head coach before firing him and hiring Mike Vrabel in January 2025 (file)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Two pro teams faced two tough decisions. The New England Patriots fired their coach, popular former player Jerod Mayo, after only one season when he finished with a 4-13 record. The firing came about a year ago. Mayo was the hand-picked successor to the great Bill Belichick and New England Patriots team owner Bob Kraft has a few years to consider his choices as the Belichick era of Patriots football limped to a close after 24 seasons, six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC championships and 17 AFC East titles, including 11 consecutive division crowns.

Last January, Kraft pulled the trigger on Mayo’s firing and the hiring of Mike Vrabel on January 12, 2025 – possibly Kraft’s best move since writing his name on contracts addressed to Belichick and retired quarterback Tom Brady, a.k.a. – The Franchise. Vrabel had played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral member of three of the six Super Bowl championship teams. After retiring as a player, he served as Tennessee Titans coach from 2018 to 2023, posting a 54-45 regular-season record and 2-3 mark in the NFL Playoffs, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.

It was a tough decision to pull the rug out from under Mayo after only one year at the helm, but hiring Vrabel was the right decision at the key time and Vrabel proved Kraft right by leading the Patriots to a surprising AFC East Division title in 2025-26, and there might be more to come.

Down in New York, there was a tough coaching decision but it was at the opposite end of the spectrum of winning. The New York Knicks had eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals and NY advanced to the Conference Finals where they lost to the youthful Indiana Pacers, 4-2.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau completed his fifth season with the Knicks, improving each and every year since 2021-22 to a 50+ win season and New York’s best finish since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals.

Knicks front office guru Leon Rose decided to make a change and dismissed Thibs and hired Mike Brown who has New York atop the NBA’s Atlantic Division whiel guiding them to an NBA Cup title in December.

Again, a very difficult decision, but the right one. A gutsy call by Rose.

Brown is playing a more open offensive style while utilizing more players in his rotation. The defense stressed by Thibodeau has not been forgotten by the same core crew to upend the Celtics last spring, but undoubtedly, the Knicks will have fresh legs and ample offense to take on all opponents come April.

Two difficult coaching decisions with two outcomes – both the best for each team.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The injury bug keeps biting the NBA. Aside from all-stars like Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton being out indefinitely, Dallas’ Anthony Davis being in & out of the lineup all season, the league took a major hit with the fact Denver’s incredible Nikola Jokić is out for some three-to-four weeks with a hyper-extended knee injury. The injury came days after Jokić posted a 56-16-15 line in a Nuggets victory over

A non-comprehensive list of players currently OUT or questionable because of injury include (Player, Team):

  • Trae Young, Atlanta
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston
  • Miles Bridges, Charlotte
  • Josh Giddey, Chicago
  • Coby White, Chicago
  • Larry Nance, Jr., Cleveland
  • Max Strus, Cleveland
  • Anthony Davis, Dallas
  • Dereck Lively, Dallas
  • Kyrie Irving, Dallas
  • Dante Exum, Dallas
  • Aaron Gordon, Denver
  • Nikola Jokić, Denver
  • Christian Braun, Denver
  • Seth Curry, Golden State
  • Fred Van Fleet, Houston
  • Obi Toppin, Indiana
  • Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana
  • Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers
  • Bradley Beal, LA Clippers
  • Rui Hachimura, LA Lakers
  • Austin Reaves, LA Lakers
  • Zach Edney, Memphis
  • Scottie Pippen Jr., Memphis
  • Ty Jerome, Memphis
  • John Konchar, Memphis
  • Tyler Herro, Miami
  • Taurean Prince, Milwaukee
  • Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota
  • Dejounte Murray, New Orleans
  • Mitchell Robinson, New York
  • Josh Hart, New York
  • Landry Shamet, New York
  • Jaylin Williams, OKC
  • Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC
  • Nikola Topic, OKC
  • Jalen Suggs, Orlando
  • Franz Wagner, Orlando
  • Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia
  • Grayson Allen, Phoenix
  • Jalen Green, Phoenix
  • Jerami Grant, Portland
  • Scoot Henderson, Portland
  • Jrue Holiday, Portland
  • Damian Lillard, Portland
  • Zach LaVine, Scaramento
  • Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento
  • Devin Vassil, San Antonio
  • Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio
  • Jacob Poeltl, Toronto
  • Ace Bailey, Utah
  • Walter Kessler, Utah
  • Georges Niang, Utah
  • Cam Whitmore, Washington

That’s a major league list of injuries, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made note at his NBA Cup media availability that the number of injuries this season are down from a year ago.

“All I can deal with is the data itself, and the data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” said Silver to a pointed question on league-wide injuries.

“I’ll stop there and say, regardless where the level of injuries stands versus prior years, of course the soft tissue injuries concern us. All injuries concern us, for that matter. The most frustrating issue right now, and the one that we have seemingly the least control over, is keeping star players on the floor.

“I think we have made progress. We’ve made adjustments in scheduling. We’ve made adjustments in the sharing of information among teams. We’ve made adjustments in the care of players. But there are no silver bullets here.

“I think we have to be true to the data. So when people say because of the Cup the season was denser leading up to now — it wasn’t, full stop.

“The level of density up until this point in the season is roughly what it’s been for the last decade. It’s just factually not true that, as a result of Cup scheduling, the first part of the season created a denser schedule.

“We are seeing an increase in pace of play. You could measure that in different ways. But measured by speed in which players are bringing the ball to half court — yes, that’s up. That may be causing some additional injuries. But what do you do about that? That’s something we’re looking at.

“Also part of your question, we’re very focused with our team doctors on the data we’re seeing and the evidence in terms of the wear and tear on players’ bodies when they get to the league. I think, as you said, we’re seeing young players now specialize at 10 years old and up as opposed to a generation before them that — I’m looking at James Jones — the top athletes played a different sport in every season and they developed their musculature in a different way.

“We think that’s preventative when you have a balanced system. Now it’s not even just that athletes aren’t switching from — young athletes aren’t switching from season to season, they’re literally playing year-round.

“Even modern NBA players, they finish the season, they take a day off and they’re right back in the gym. It may be that over time that with better data, this may be another area where AI can ingest enormous amounts of data and video and look at patterns, might be able to solve some of these problems.

“So the answer is it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating for our teams. It’s frustrating for our fans. But I do think we have to be true to what the evidence is as opposed to saying there’s a narrative out there that injuries are up or injuries are up because of scheduling. They’re not.

“But, we continue to slice and dice the data in every way we can, plus we look at qualitative information. People who have been around this game for a long time, what are they seeing? Are players training differently? Are there better techniques out there to keep players healthier? By the way, this is not a problem unique to the NBA. It’s tremendously frustrating in all sports to see star players in particular go down, but of course any player.

“We’re very focused on it. There’s no amount of money we’re not willing to invest in it to make those investments to see if there’s better resources out there. I would say also, Andre Iguodala and the Players Association have been tremendously cooperative, as well. We all have a common interest in keeping players on the floor.

MAKE NOTE: with Nikola Jokić of Denver and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio injured and their February playing futures unknown, the International team at the NBA All-Star Game might take a major hit to its potential “Starting 5.” Initially looking like a lock to win the NBA’s new All-Star Classic, now, it’s a toss-up once again. The Internationals still have the advantage (think: Shai).

HOW MANY DAYS? Here’s a look-see at the number of days between January 4th and …

33 – Days Until Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics

37 – Days Until Pitchers & Catchers Report for MLB Spring Training

49 – Days Until the Gold Medal Game for Men’s Ice Hockey at the Olympics

61 – Days Until the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Seaport)

70 – Days until NCAA Selection Sunday

81 – Days Until MLB Opening Day

89 – Days Until Red Sox Home Opener (vs. SD Padres)

106 – Days Until the Boston Marathon (Patriots’ Day)

Celtics Too Good for Bulls

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Anfernee Simons made eight 3-pointers and scored a game-high 27 points to help the Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to four games by beating the visiting Chicago Bulls 115-101 on Monday night. Payton Pritchard added 21 points for the Celtics, who received 13 points and 13 rebounds from Neemias Queta. Boston shot 40% from the field but matched its season high with 20 offensive rebounds.

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Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 26 points. Nikola Vucevic added 15 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. Ayo Dosunmu (15) and Tre Jones (10) were the only other Bulls who scored in double figures.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown was 6 of 24 from the floor and finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Chicago, which had won its last four road games, played without point guard Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain) and center/forward Jalen Smith (concussion). Giddey is averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game.

Shooting guard Coby White returned after missing Chicago’s last three games with a calf injury. White, who also began the night averaging 19.2 points per contest, had five points and six rebounds in 25 minutes.

The Bulls were up 9-6, but Boston went on a 16-2 run and led 22-11 with 3:51 remaining in the opening quarter. The Celtics scored 25 of the final 30 points in the quarter and had a 31-14 lead after 12 minutes.

The Bulls missed 19 of their first 21 3-point attempts and trailed by as many as 23 points in the second quarter. A Pritchard 3-pointer at the buzzer handed Boston a 54-33 halftime lead.

Chicago scored 34 points in the third quarter after scoring 33 in the first half but trailed 85-67 entering the fourth. The Bulls trailed by 10 after a Vucevic 3-pointer with 3:34 to play but failed to get any closer.

–Field Level Media

Zuby Doobie, Do

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s and Jamier Jones from Providence were selected to earn BIG EAST Men’s Basketball weekly honors for games played between Dec. 29 and Jan. 4.  Ejiofor averaged nearly 30 points and 13 rebounds this past week, while Jones tallied a double-double (15 points/10 rebounds) for the Friars.
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BIG EAST Player of the Week
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Ejiofor averaged 29.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocked shots while connecting on 60.0% from the floor (15-25) in a 1-1 week for St. John’s.  His best performance of the week came at home on Jan. 3 against Providence, as the 6-9 forward finished with career-highs in points (33) and rebounds (15) to go with two assists, two steals, and three blocks in 34 minutes.  Ejiofor was 8-of-16 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from the perimeter.  Eleven of his 15 rebounds came on the offensive glass – tying for the most offensive boards in a game this season.  At Georgetown on Dec. 31, the senior forward posted a near triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-best seven assists.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Jamier Jones, Providence, F, Fr.
Jones posted his first collegiate double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, in Providence’s win at St. John’s.  Five of Jones’ 10 boards came on the offensive glass, leading to nine second-chance points for the Friars – including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:59 left in the game.  The 6-6 forward was 5-for-7 from the floor and scored 10 of his 15 points over the final 20 minutes of play.  He added two assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action.  For the season, Jones is averaging 10.4 points per game and is connecting on nearly 69% of his field goal attempts (57-83).
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr.
Ball led UConn this past week, averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 blocked shot while connecting on nearly 55% shooting from the floor in a pair of wins.  He scored 17 points at Xavier on Dec. 31, before tallying 17 points and eight rebounds at home vs. Marquette.
Jasen Green, Creighton, F, Jr.
Green averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal in two games last week. He tallied a career-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting at Butler on Dec. 30 before narrowly missing a double-double at Seton Hall – 13 points and a career-best nine rebounds.
CJ Gunn, DePaul, G, Sr.
Gunn tallied 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block over a two-game span this past week.  He had 15 points and seven rebounds at Villanova before finishing with a game-high 22 points in a home win over Xavier.  The 6-7 guard shot 50% (14-28) from the floor on the week.
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Jr.
Lewis poured in a career-high 27 points, connecting on eight field goals and a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line.  The 6-4 guard added three rebounds, an assist, three steals, and a blocked shot in 28 minutes.  It was Lewis’ third game with at least 20 points this season.
Bryce Lindsay, Villanova, G, Jr.
Lindsay was terrific in a pair of Villanova wins last week.  Against DePaul, Lindsay tallied 19 points while knocking down 5-of-10 from the perimeter.  The 6-3 guard scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half, keying a comeback for the Wildcats at Butler on Jan. 3.

Rams Fly as Double-Digit Favorites

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CHARLOTTE – (Wire Service Report) – The Los Angeles Rams will travel cross country as the No. 5 seed in the NFC to play at a division champion in the wild-card round, and they will do it as a double-digit favorite.

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The Carolina Panthers (8-9) backed into the playoffs courtesy of Atlanta’s win over New Orleans, and their reward as the NFC South champions is a date against a team that has been among the Super Bowl favorites all year. The Rams (12-5) were installed as a 10.0-point favorite by DraftKings for the wild-card opener on Saturday — nearly a touchdown bigger spread than in any of the other five games.

By contrast, Saturday’s second game will pit Chicago against bitter division rival Green Bay. The Bears are the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but opened as a +1.5-point home underdog against the Packers. The teams split their regular-season meetings, with the Bears winning 22-16 in overtime at home in Week 16.

Despite Green Bay closing the regular season on a four-game losing streak, the Packers were installed as one of four road favorites in the first round.

Sunday will feature two of the marquee matchups of wild-card weekend.

Jacksonville (13-4) will play host to Buffalo (12-5), with the Bills opening as a 1.5-point road favorite against the AFC South champions. The game also features the highest total points line at 51.5.

The Bills and Jaguars will be followed by the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) playing host to the San Francisco 49ers (12-5). Philadelphia opened tied as the second biggest favorite of the weekend at -3.5.

That equals the line for the New England Patriots (14-3), who will close out Sunday’s trio of games at home against the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6).

The first round of the playoffs will conclude will the fourth road favorite. Pittsburgh (10-7) was the last team into the postseason on Sunday night courtesy of a missed field goal on the final play of the regular season, and the Steelers were immediately installed as a 3.0-point home underdog against the Houston Texans (12-5).

Along with the Packers-Bears, the Chargers-Patriots are tied for the lowest total points line of the weekend at 45.5.

Despite facing a potential three road-game gauntlet to reach the Super Bowl, the Rams enter the postseason with the second-shortest Super Bowl champion odds at +425. That’s behind only the Seattle Seahawks (14-3), who claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

The AFC’s top seed, the Denver Broncos (14-3), own the third-shortest title odds at +650.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION ODDS *Set by Betting Hero
Seattle Seahawks (+340)
Los Angeles Rams (+425)
Denver Broncos (+650)
New England Patriots (+950)
Philadelphia Eagles (+1000)
Buffalo Bills (+1000)
Houston Texans (+1200)
Jacksonville Jaguars (+1400)
Green Bay Packers (+2200)
Chicago Bears (+2200)
San Francisco 49ers (+2800)
Los Angeles Chargers (+2800)
Pittsburgh Steelers (+5000)
Carolina Panthers (+15000)

–Field Level Media

New England Patriots: Game Preview

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Miami Dolphins (7-9) at New England Patriots (13-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

FanDuel odds: Patriots -11.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: New England claimed a 33-27 win at Miami on Sept. 14, the Patriots’ first win over the Dolphins in three seasons.

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The Patriots can win 14 games in a season for the first time since 2016 when they won Super Bowl LI and can clinch the top seed in the AFC plaoyffs with a win over the Dolphins and a loss or tie by the Denver Broncos against the L.A. Chargers. New England would like this pursuit to be its sole focus but has been dealing with legal issues surrounding two key players — receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. The Patriots were fresh off celebrating their first division title since 2019 when reports surfaced of Diggs facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation, and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident that took place on Dec. 2. Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 23. In an unrelated incident, Barmore faces a misdemeanor charge of one count of assault and battery on a family/household member alleged to have occurred on Aug. 8. New England coach Mike Vrabel said before the team’s practice Wednesday he hadn’t heard anything that would keep either player from being available to play against Miami, though Diggs’ status for the postseason remains unclear. The Patriots’ tumultuous week came after a stress-free 42-10 victory over the New York Jets during which quarterback Drake Maye threw a career-high five touchdown passes. Maye threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another in Week 2 when the Patriots beat the Dolphins 33-27 in Miami. Since being eliminated from postseason consideration, the Dolphins have turned their focus toward their future over the past two weeks. That has included benching starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Rookie Quinn Ewers is expected to make his third career start — and first on the road — on Sunday. After struggling during a 45-21 loss to Cincinnati in which he threw two interceptions, Ewers bounced back last week and led Miami to a 20-17 win over Tampa Bay. Ewers tossed his first two touchdown passes, committed no turnovers and completed 14 of 22 passes for 172 yards.