Before Chicago raised Derrick Rose’s jersey to the rafters…
Kevin Huerter brought down the house to beat Boston.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 25, 2026
Chi-Town Cheers: Bulls’ thrilling game-winner sets stage for moving ceremony honoring Rose
AWS Rivals Week: Luka, Lakers rally late back in Dallas, Knicks grind out Philly win
Saturday Roundup: More late scoring from Mitchell, Heat hit 140+, Hornets handle Wiz
League Pass Spotlight: Thunder, Raptors line up for battle of dynamic defenses
Also On League Pass: This Norman Powell quirk could be key as Heat highlight 8-game Sunday vs. Suns
BUT FIRST … ⏰
It’s a good day to stay in and watch hoops…
Warriors-Timberwolves Postponed: The NBA announced Saturday’s game between Golden State and Minnesota at Target Center has been postponed to today at 5:30 ET (NBA TV).
Seven other games follow Sunday, highlighted by a defensive showcase between the Raptors and Thunder (7 ET, LP | Tap To Watch).
The Pistons get the day started, hosting the Kings (3 ET, LP | Tap To Watch) for newly-named All-Star Game head coach J.B. Bickerstaff – Detroit’s first since Flip Saunders in 2005-06.
1. CHI-TOWN CHEERS: BULLS HONOR ROSE, BEAT BOSTON JUST BEFORE BUZZER
Geoff Stellfox/NBAE via Getty Images
Bulls 114, Celtics 111: After Jaylen Brown (33 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) knotted the game at 111-all with 14.2 seconds remaining, Kevin Huerter (12 pts) nailed the game-winning triple with 0.2 on the clock to ensure a fourth straight win for the Bulls and a thrilling night at United Center. | Recap
- Fueling The Win: Coby White led eight double-figure Bulls scorers with 22 points and 7 assists, with his seventh finding Huerter in the corner for the winner
- Close Contest: Chicago used a 19-8 run midway through the 3rd to take the lead for good, settling a neck-and-neck game that had 21 lead changes and no double-digit leads
- “I was thinking about doing the celebration of D Rose falling into teammates,” Huerter said of his game-winner moments before Derrick Rose’s jersey retirement ceremony.
- “We were packed in here from the jump, it’s great to have you guys,” Huerter said. “Especially this rivalry, playing against the Celtics. This was great.”
With Huerter and the current Bulls energizing the arena in the best way possible, Chicago fans were eager to honor a legend.
Derrick Rose’s jersey retirement ceremony brought out many fan-favorite Bulls and Chicago legends – and, of course, the man of the hour.
When it was Rose’s turn to address the moment, he was as inspiring as he was in his seven seasons as a Bull.
Rose’s family provided the final assist to forever immortalize his Bulls No. 1 jersey
2. AWS RIVALS WEEK: LUKA, LAKERS RALLY BACK IN DALLAS, KNICKS COOL SIXERS
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Lakers 116, Mavericks 110: Luka (33 pts, 8 reb, 11 ast) led all scorers back in Dallas and LeBron (8 reb, 5 ast) and Rui Hachimura (8 reb) each added 17 points as L.A. corrected a 28-point 2nd-half swing, erasing the Mavs’ 15-point lead in the 4th to end their four-game win streak. | Recap
- Mavs’ Move: Dallas took away L.A.’s 13-point halftime lead with a 35-14 3rd quarter for its first lead since 7-5 in the 1st
- L.A. Strikes Back: The Mavs led by as many as 15 until the midway point of the 4th, when the Lakers flipped the switch
- Clutch King: James activated for 11 of his 17 points in the comeback 4th, and Rui netted 7 points in a 30-second span to give the Lakers the lead for good
“Just trusting each other,” Luka said of the Lakers’ final push. “Everybody was touching the ball, everybody was being aggressive.”
- Former Laker Max Christie, who came over in the Luka trade, led Dallas with 24 points, with Cooper Flagg (16 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) supporting
“This is a special place to me,” Luka said of Dallas, comparing it to his home of Slovenia.
“Every time I came back, I was happy, so, always a special place for me.”
Knicks 112, Sixers 109: Jalen Brunson (31 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 6 3s) got off to a hot start and steadied the Knicks late amid the Sixers’ 15-point 4th-quarter comeback, as New York bested Philly for the first time this season and won consecutive games for the first time in 2026. | Recap
“Composure,” Brunson said postgame of the key to the game. “I like the way we fought.”
- Brunson Early: The Captain netted 14 of the Knicks’ 34 1st-quarter points, continuing where they left off Wednesday in the franchise’s largest win
- Embiid Throughout: Joel (38 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast) lifted the Sixers to a halftime lead with his 28-point 1st half, and carried the 4th-quarter comeback with 10 more
- OG Late: With Philly back within a possession and under 2 minutes to play, Anunoby (23 pts) followed a tip-slam with a key 3, before assisting on Landry Shamet’s dagger triple to seal the W
3. ROUNDUP: SPIDA RULES LATE, HORNETS WIN EARLY, HEAT HIT 140+
Cavaliers 119, Magic 105: Donovan Mitchell (36 pts, 9 ast) pushed the Cavs to pull away from Paolo Banchero (27 pts) and the Magic in the 2nd half, as Cleveland never trailed by more than a possession on the way to a third straight win. | Recap
- Top Finisher: The NBA’s leader in 2nd-half and 4th-quarter points dropped 27 after halftime and 14 in the final frame Saturday
Jacob Kupferman + Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Hornets 119, Wizards 115: Brandon Miller (21 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast), LaMelo Ball (20 pts, 11 ast) and Miles Bridges (20 pts) combined for 61 points as Charlotte withstood Washington’s late 16-point rally to hold onto the win. | Recap
- Tre’s Play: Tre Johnson led all scorers with career-highs in points (26), 3-pointers (6) and assists (6), and Alex Sarr added 24 points
- Young Wizards: Washington’s starting lineup of Kyshawn George, Will Riley, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington was the NBA’s youngest (20.6 avg. age) since starters began being tracked in 1970-71
Heat 147, Jazz 116: Bam Adebayo (26 pts, 15 reb), Nikola Jović (23 pts) and Pelle Larsson (20 pts) combined for 69 points to lead seven Heat players in double-figures past the Jazz and Jusuf Nurkić’s (17 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) third consecutive triple-double. | Recap
- High Heat: Miami topped 140 points for the league-leading eighth time this season. No other team has more than three such games
- Jazz History: Nurkić captured the longest triple-double streak in franchise history and is now tied with Karl Malone and Andrei Kirilenko for third-most (3) in a Jazz jersey
4. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: TOP-4 DEFENSES CLASH IN THUNDER, RAPTORS
Mark Blinch + Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
The hype surrounding Toronto entering this season centered on having their core group healthy and on the floor together for the first time.
Their defensive success – to the tune of the league’s sixth-best Defensive Rating (112.1) – has been a key development and factor in their staying power as the East’s 4th seed.
Raptors at Thunder (7 ET): Tonight, Toronto measures their defense against the league’s best in OKC. Here’s a look at how both groups limit their opponents this season:
OKC ranks first in points off turnovers per game (23.7).
Leading the league in total steals, Cason Wallace has made the back of his jersey a familiar sight for opponents
The Thunder also allow the fewest points in the paint per game (40.3 Opp PITP).
Chet Holmgren locks down the paint as one of four players averaging two or more blocks per game
”It just gets better and better,” said Isaiah Hartenstein on OKC’s historic defense. “Us playing together another year, being more connected, knowing what we need from each player.”
On the other side, Toronto’s length limits long-range shooting, ranking third in DFG% from 3 (34.2%).
With the tools and quickness of a shooting guard at 6’8”, Ingram is no easy obstacle to shoot over
When it matters most, the Raptors’ defense levels up with the second-best Defensive Rating in Clutch time (97.5).
Here, Toronto swarms, switches on, traps and turns over the NBA’s top 4th-quarter scorer (368 pts) in Donovan Mitchell
“We guard up there with anybody,” said Jamal Shead on Toronto’s team defense. “We have a great team defense.”
5. ON LEAGUE PASS: POWELL, HEAT VISIT SUNS TO FINISH ROAD TRIP
Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images
Norman Powell is putting together a career year in his first season in Miami, scoring more (23.3 ppg) than ever before.
As Fred Katz reports for The Athletic, it’s another testament to Powell’s world-class adaptability:
“Powell was averaging a career-best 23.7 points heading into Tuesday night’s action. It’s his second straight season averaging at least 20 a game after failing to do so during any of his first nine years in the league.
He’s getting to the free-throw line more. His efficiency has never been higher — and the spike has come with him shooting more than ever.
But more notable than the production is the manner in which his peak scoring has arrived. Last year, Powell dove into a new style of basketball. And this season, he’s reshaped himself once again.”
Part of Powell’s power? Writes Katz:
“Long before he had ever touched a basketball, Powell’s body was adapting to the game.” | Read more
Powell and the Heat look to finish a five-game trip out West on a high note in Phoenix (8 ET), where the Suns open up a five-game homestand.
Elsewhere on League Pass, the top-seeded Pistons tip off the day hosting the Kings (3 ET), plus Denver and LA look to stay hot out West, with the Nuggets visiting the Grizzlies (3:30 ET) and the Clippers hosting the Nets (9 ET).
- Warriors at TWolves (5:30 ET)
- Mavericks at Bucks (7 ET)
- Pelicans at Spurs (7 ET)
