Utah Mammoth center Barrett Hayton (27) takes a shot against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby (35) in the third period at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Jan 13, 2026 (AP… More
Kings Complete Back-to-Back Sweep With 124-112 Win Over Lakers
Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after he made a three-point basket over LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on January 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings took on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. The Kings got their revenge on the Lakers on Monday, defeating them 124-112.
In the first quarter of the game, the Kings brought high energy and effort on the defensive end of the floor, which led to their offense. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Kings in the first quarter as they got the scoring going with nine and eight points, respectively, as the Kings outscored the Lakers 32-28. On the Lakers’ end, LeBron James and Luka Doncic also got going early as they scored 10 and 11 points, respectively, to open the game. The Kings’ defense was doing a good job on the others in the Lakers lineup but was struggling to defend the Lakers’ stars.
In the second quarter, the Kings started to take command of the game and pull away from the Lakers. Malik Monk dominated the second quarter as he scored 18 of the Kings’ 29 points in the frame. In large part due to Monk, the Kings outscored the Lakers 29-26 and took a 61-54 lead into halftime. The Kings shot 53% from the field and an impressive 61% from deep in the first half, which propelled them to the lead. On the other hand, the Lakers couldn’t buy a bucket from the perimeter, shooting an abysmal 15% from deep in the first half.
In the third quarter, it was more of the same from the Kings. The Kings continued to pressure the Lakers on the defensive end as the Lakers’ tough shooting night continued. The Kings outscored the Lakers 34-29 in the third despite a 14-point performance from Dončić in the quarter. DeRozan and Russell Westbrook kept the Kings’ pace up on the offensive end as they scored 11 and 13 points, respectively, in the quarter.
The Kings went into the fourth quarter with a 95-83 lead and looked to close out the Lakers in the final 12 minutes.
The Lakers weren’t able to handle the Kings in the fourth quarter, as the Kings and Lakers each scored 29 points in the frame, allowing the Kings to win the game 124-112. Despite a 42-point effort from Dončić, followed by a 22-point performance from James, the Kings managed to prevent any of the others from doing much damage.
The Kings showed a strong effort for a full 48 minutes on Monday to win their second straight game and the second night of a back-to-back.
Doug Christie has been preaching effort and “compete level” all year, and he has gotten a taste of it over the last few games.
“I told them before the game that you’re going to face adversity in life—adversity doesn’t miss you—but for them, their willingness to continue to compete and overcome that, that’s what it says a lot about who you are in those moments,” Christie said after the game.
Christie has also voiced his desire for the team to play to a certain level of pride—Kings pride. He discussed his players being able to be proud of the way they play after the game.
“You’re going to win some, whatever, but you play like that with your heart like that. You can look at yourself in the mirror.”
Up next: The Kings will stay home to take on the New York Knicks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PST inside Golden 1 Center.
San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda on two game win streak looking for number 3 Friday in Tucson
San Jose Barracuda forward Lucas Vanroboys (67) gets into it with the Bakersfield Condors defenseman Mason Millman (78) at Tech CU in San Jose on Sat Jan 10, 2026 (San Jose Barracuda photo)
San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Uklovic:
#1 How will Filip Bystedt’s offensive impact translate to this road matchup in Tucson starting Fri Jan 16th?
#2 Can Quentin Musty create matchup problems for Tucson’s penalty kill?
#3 What kind of night do the Barracuda expect from defender Luca Cagnoni on both ends of the ice?
#4 Will goaltender Jakub Skarek be able to weather Tucson’s attacking forwards early in the first period?
#5 How will the Barracuda depth forwards like Colin White or Patrick Giles contribute on special teams?
Join Marko for the San Jose Barracuda podcast each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Sacramemto Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Big relief for Kings end skid beating Rockets 111-98
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives on the Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 11, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:
1.Before we get into Sunday night’s game just wanted to catch up on the status of the current King’s injuries but also the unfortunate suspension of Dennis Schroeder and how that all played out.
2.The Kings went into Sunday night’s game against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets dealing with a seven game losing streak. They just had been unable to do much about the skid, just couldn’t turn it around.
3. Sunday at Golden 1 the Kings faced a really frustrated Houston Rockets who have been struggling falling apart in the fourth quarter of games losing their past two games to the Portland Trailblazers.
4. What do you feel was the turning point in the fourth quarter for the Kings that sealed the deal getting Sacramento their ninth win of the season.
5. Next up for the Kings will be a game with the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night in Sacramento playing this game without Dennis Schroeder on the bench.
Barbara Mason does Sacramento Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Utah Mammoth game wrap:Keller Has McBain’s Back, But Mammoth Fall To Blue Jackets 3-2 In Overtime
Klayton Keller (9) of the Utah Mammoth had two assists against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Delta Center on Sun Jan 11, 2026 (Fox 2 News Salt Lake City file photo)
By Tom Walker
SALT LAKE CITY–Clayton Keller’s first period shot went wide of the net, but bounced off McBain’s back and into the goal in first period of the Utah Mammoth’s first home ice loss of 2026 to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime.
The Mammoth (22-20-3) welcomed the Blue Jackets (19-18-7) to Delta Center on Sunday afternoon for the third of seven games on the current homestand. Struggling backup goaltender Vítek Vaněček, entering the game at 2-9-1 on the season, got the start in place of Czechia Olympian Karel Vejmelka.
Not quite three minutes into the game, Columbus hit the scoreboard first on Mikael Pyythia’s first goal of the season, a wicked shot that was in and out of the net so fast that one could barely tell it was a goal at all, assisted by Danton Heinen and Ivan Provorov.
With just a few minutes remaining in the first period, Utah tied things up on a fluke goal when Clayton Keller sent the puck wide of the net and off the back of linemate Jack McBain into the Blue Jackets net. Keller has now registered assists in five consecutive home games which ties his own franchise record.
Whether it was an errant shot attempt or a mysterious pass, it resulted in McBain’s 5th goal of the season with the additional assist going to Nick DeSimone. This one is worth finding a replay on the internet to watch. Columbus netminder Jet Greaves finished the period stopping six of seven shots, while Vaněček turned away eleven of twelve for the Mammoth.
Utah started off the second period quickly at 1:02 when defenseman Mikhail Sergachev fired a bullet from the center of the blue line past everyone between him and the net for his 7th goal of the season, assisted by Keller and Nick Schmaltz, to give the Mammoth its first lead of the game.
With two and a half minutes left in the frame, McBain went to the sin bin for holding against Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, and Columbus made Utah pay for it a minute later when Charlie Coyle shot the puck off the near goalpost and then passed the rebound to Adam Fantilli in front of the net.
Vaněček stopped Fantilli, but Coyle finished the job for his seventh of the season, with the additional assist credited to Kirill Marchenko. The two squads completed the period knotted up at two apiece, with Greaves stopping seven of eight and Vaněček turning away twelve of thirteen.
The Mammoth and Blue Jackets were scoreless in the third period, but Daniil But put Utah at a disadvantage in overtime when he tripped Fantilli with 24 seconds left in regulation. Benefitting from the 4-on-3 overtime power play, Columbus dominated the 61 seconds necessary for Dmitri Voronkov to record his 16th goal of the season to put Utah away, assisted by Zach Werenski and Marchenko.
Despite saving 33 of 36 shots in the game, Vaněček’s losing streak increased to ten games, his last victory coming against the Winnipeg Jets on October 26. In the locker room after the game, Mikhail Sergachev expressed support for Vaněček “He was amazing. He held the ground for us. We gave up a little too much. He was big for us tonight. We just couldn’t get it done for him.” When asked about defending defending 4-on-3 in overtime, Sergachev said, “It is hard, but it’s easier than 5-on-3. … Pucks were flying around; high sticks everywhere; we just didn’t get to set up in our formation and didn’t get to defend that well. (Columbus) attacked right away–good on them.”
Jack McBain, who initiated the scoring with perhaps the most unusual goal of his career, said, “It wasn’t our best game, for sure. Everybody knows that. We gave up too many chances. I think we tried to overcomplicate the game. We got a little away from our identity there.” Asked about staying strong late in the third period, McBain added, “Every point matters. The kill did a good job to get it into overtime. It was unfortunate that (Columbus) was on the 4-on-3, that’s tough. But every point matters all the way through the rest of the season. … We got a point out of (tonight). It wasn’t our best game, but we’ll learn from it and move on. We have to learn…to win, how to close out games. Not our best, but we’re on to the next one.”
Utah Mammoth Head Coach André Tourigny began his postgame remarks by saying, “I think I’m disappointed about the way we process that game, the way our thought process, mindset, our play with the puck, our play without the puck. I think V gave us an opportunity to get a point, which is a big point, which is important. I thought against St Louis, Vej bailed us out. So I was expecting definitely better from today.” When asked how the team can improve, Bear responded, “First of all, you need to sting a little bit. It’s not just about moving on. It’s about learning from it. I think there’s a lesson to learn from that game. Like I said, it’s not a matter of execution or effort. It was a matter of mindset, be ready to play the game the way it should have been played, and our decision with the puck. There’s many things that were not on par.” Tourigny was visually disappointed for Vaněček, and said of his performance, “Really good, I think. Tough situation, he didn’t play for a little bit, and came in and the guys did not play their A game in front of him, and he kept us there. I think he did a great job.”
Utah (22-20-4) returns to the ice on Tuesday for their fourth game of the homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs (22-15-7).
NHL Note: Ten years ago today (January 11, 2016), Washington Capitals forward and future unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin passed the 500 career goals mark. Now at the age of 40, Ovi has 19 goals in the current season, and 916 for his record breaking career, 24 more than the previous record holder, Wayne Gretzky, who retired with 894 career goals.
Ovechkin also has 77 career playoff goals for good measure, which means he is 7 away from 1000 combined career regular season and playoff goals, still behind Gretzky whose combined regular season and playoff goal mark is 1016, still very much in reach for Ovechkin who continues to be productive while most of his contemporaries have been long retired.
Kings Snap Seven-Game Skid With 111-98 Win Over Rockets
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings and Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets compete for a loose ball in the first half at Golden 1 Center on January 11, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they attempted to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets. After getting off to what was tied for their worst start in the Sacramento era prior to Sunday at 8-30, the Kings managed to defeat the Rockets 111-98.
In the first quarter of action, scoring was at a premium for both teams as they started slowly on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings were outscored by the Rockets 23-22 in the quarter, as Kevin Durant led the way for Houston with seven points in the first. Zach LaVine got the Kings going early, as his shot was falling in the opening frame, where he scored eight of the Kings’ 22 points.
In the second quarter, the Kings battled back and managed to outscore the Rockets 29-25 in the period. DeMar DeRozan was cooking in the second quarter for the Kings, as he scored 11 points in the frame to give Sacramento a 51-48 halftime lead. DeRozan led the Kings in first-half scoring with 13 points, while no other Kings players reached double figures at the break. Meanwhile, the Rockets got double-digit performances from Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Kevin Durant, who all scored in double figures in the first half. The first half was a good battle from the Kings, and it showed something Doug Christie has been looking for during the losing streak: effort.
In the third quarter, the Kings managed to keep the game close and maintain a razor-thin lead over the Rockets. Houston outscored Sacramento 28-27 in the period, but the Kings still went into the final quarter leading 78-76.
In the fourth quarter, it was the Dylan Cardwell show, as he almost single-handedly kept the Kings’ energy up in the early part of the quarter. The Rockets and Kings traded baskets, but it was Cardwell who ignited Sacramento and helped the team pull away. Cardwell amassed seven rebounds and two points in the quarter, helping the Kings outscore the Rockets 33-22 in the final 12 minutes. The Kings defeated the Rockets 111-98, marking their second victory of the season over Houston and snapping their seven-game losing streak.
Amen Thompson led all scorers with 31 points for the Rockets. On the Kings’ side, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine led the way with 22 and 18 points, respectively. As a note, DeRozan also became just the 23rd member of the 26,000-points club with a made basket in the first half.
Malik Monk, who had been receiving a number of DNPs as of late and had fallen out of Doug Christie’s rotation, made a big impact for the Kings on Sunday night. Monk scored 15 points while adding four rebounds and three assists.
After the game, DeRozan spoke about the impact Monk had and the professionalism he has shown.
“It’s just a testament to the player that he is, the talent that he is, just to stay ready.”
Up next, the Kings stay home to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in the second night of a back-to-back. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum: Stanford gets crushed by Virginia 70-55
Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) guards Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville on Sat Jan 10, 2026 (Stanford Cardinal photo)
Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 Ebuka Okorie came into Saturday night averaging over 20 points but was held scoreless in the second half — can you talk about what defenses he faced and how he tried to counter that?
#2 Benny Gealer scored 15 points, most in the first half — what adjustments did he try to make after halftime to sustain that scoring against Virginia’s defense?
#3 Eight players scored for Stanford Saturday night — how do you evaluate the bench contributions and what can be taken from Saturday night’s rotations moving forward?
#4 Stanford shot much lower in the second half compared to the first — what was the message at halftime and how did they try to get more efficient looks after the break?
#5 With this being Stanford’s first road loss of the season, what lessons will the team take from this performance as they head into ACC play back at Maples Pavilion?
Daniel Dullum does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Sharks Suffer Another 7-2 Loss Against the Golden Knights
Alexander Wennberg scores the final goal of the night for the Sharks against the Golden Knights at SAP Center on Jan 11, 2026 (AP Photo)
By Fernando Abarca
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Sharks returned to SAP Center for rare back-to-back weekend games looking to build momentum, but faced a difficult test against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights to 7-2 loss on Sunday.
Any hopes of an even contest were short-lived, as Vegas struck first off a faceoff. Ivan Barbashev set up Jack Eichel with time and space in the circle, and Eichel beat the goaltender at 7:19 of the first period to open the scoring.
Two minutes later, the Sharks responded. At 9:33, Colin Graf won a puck battle in the Vegas defensive zone, creating a scoring chance that Jeff Skinner set up for Graf to finish to tie the game at 1.
Vegas regained control on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev scored to make it 2-1, with assists from Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl, with 10:57 remaining in the first period. The Golden Knights carried the one-goal lead into intermission.
The second period proved difficult for San Jose. Vegas scored three times, goals from Jack Eichel, Zach Whitecloud, and Hertl, to build a 5-1 advantage. The Sharks found a late spark when Alexander Wennberg scored at 16:29, cutting the deficit to 5-2 heading into the third period.
The third period was largely uneventful and dominated by the visitors, with the outcome appearing decided before play resumed. The Sharks played passively for much of the final 20 minutes. Penalties provided the few notable moments, as Tyler Toffoli was called for high-sticking and William Eklund for hooking. Vegas added two goals with an empty-net score and another in the final seconds to seal a 7-2 victory.
The result matched a 7-2 loss to Vegas on Dec. 23 and marked another winless showing for the Sharks against the Golden Knights this season.
The Sharks will go on the road to face the Washington Capitals on Tuesday Night.
San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor: 49ers rally for 13 points in fourth quarter to defeat Eagles 23-19
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is psyched after throwing a second half touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey against the Philadelphia Eagles at Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sun Jan 11, 2026 (AP News photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor:
#1 David talk about the San Francisco rally coming back from behind in the fourth quarter scoring 13 points that helped to win it 23-19 at Lincoln Financial Field.
#2 Dave, talk about Brock Purdy in this one he threw 18-31, 262 yards, two touchdowns. Did you see this a tranformative game for Purdy after having that tough game to end the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks.
#3 The Los Angeles Rams won their playoff game against the Carolina Panthers 34-31 the win by the Rams forces the 49ers to continue to play their post season on the road and they will come across the Seahawks again in Seattle for the next round of the playoffs.
Join David Zizmor for the 49ers podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
WNBA could face a lock out or a strike; League and players are far apart on salaries, housing and revenue
Women National Basketball Players Asscoation logo (from the WNBAPA)
By Stephen Ruderman and Vince Cestone
The WNBA season begins in May 2026 and negotiations between the league and the players and both sides are far apart on salary, revenue sharing and the deadline to get a contract together was this past Fri Jan 9th. Sources told the AP.
The league has offered a league minimum salary of $1 million for 2026 that could go up to $1.3 million. That would be increase from $249,000. The league offered to grow the minimum salary to $2 million for the duration of the contract.
The league is offering the players 70% of the net revenue the players would profit after expenses were paid. The expenses listed were upgraded facilities, charter flights, five star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
The average salary for the players would be $530,000 a raise from $120,000 and it would increase to $770,000. The league’s minimum salary would rise to $250,000. Star players in the league like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers would receive double the money their making now on their rookie contracts.
The sticking point of the negotiations is the leauge wants the players to start paying their own housing with the minimum salary going up to $250,000. The players union said the individual teams should continue to pay for the players housing.
The union also stated since that expansion fees that Cleveland, Detroit and Philadephia paid by 2030 should be revenue that the league should include in revenue projection pay. If the contract continues to be delayed it could delay the beginning of the season which is scheduled to start in May.
Free agency was supposed to start in late January if both sides had agreed to a contract by last Friday however both sides did not agree to a contract which could further push negotiations back possibly two months to get free agency started.
Barracuda snap losing streak against Condors, win 4-3 in overtime; Win is San Jose’s second this week
San Jose Barracuda vs Bakersfield Condors on Saturday January 10th at Tech CU Arena (via sjbarracuda/flickr)
By Madison Montez
SAN JOSE–It took overtime to do it but the San Jose Barracuda defeated the Bakersfield Condors in overtime 4-3 at Tech CU in San Jose on Saturday night.
Scoring:
Putting pressure in the Condor’s zone and good passing by Giles and Havelid, San Jose was the first on the board. After rushing into the zone, Ethan Cardwell put the Barracuda up 1-0 for his fifth of the season. Taking advantage of their first powerplay opportunity, Quentin Musty scored his 7th PPG of the season to put the Barracuda up 2-0. To cut the Barracuda lead in half, Josh Samanski scored his 7th goal of the season.
Making it past two defensemen, Viljami Marjala scored to even the score at 2-2 in the second period. To take the 3-2 lead, James Hamblin scored a little over thirty seconds after Marjala.
To tie the game at 3-3, Cam Lund scored his fifth of the season, 6 minutes into the third period. After a scoreless rest of the third period, the game went into overtime. Ethan Cardwell was the hero, scoring with 2:18 left in the 5 minute overtime period.
SOG:
After 20 minutes of play, San Jose outshot Bakersfield 9 to 7. After 40 minutes of play, and taking the lead, Bakersfield outshot San Jose , 14 to 10. And to end the game, San Jose outshot Bakersfield , 11 to 5.
Special Teams:
Coming into tonight’s game, San Jose has a powerplay percentage of 24.8% (4th in the league) and a penalty kill percentage of 76.1% (31st in the league). They had five opportunities and took advantage of one. For Bakersfield, they’re coming into tonight’s game with a powerplay percentage of 26.1% (2nd in the league) and a penalty kill percentage of 79.9 (21st in the league). They had four opportunties and weren’t able to take advantage of any.
Goalies:
For San Jose, Jakub Skarek got the start. Making 16 saves on 19 shots, Skarek was replaced in the third period. Gabriel Carriere came into the game at the start of the third period, making 5 saves on 5 shots. For Bakersfield, Matt Tompkins got the start. Making 27 saves on 30 shots, Tompkins recorded the loss. His record now moves to 10-6-3-1.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
- Cam Lund
- James Hamlin
- Ethan Cardwell
The Barracuda will be back in action on Friday January 16th, visiting the Tucson Roadrunners for their third matchup of the season. The last time these two teams faced off was on Saturday December 6th where they fell 6-2. Jack Thompson and Cam Lund with the two goals in that game.
Sports Radio Service 