Le Journal

Zion Williamson’s injury-plagued New Orleans Pelicans are staggering through the season, firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Western Conference. James Borrego, elevated from assistant on November 15 after Willie Green’s firing amid a 2-10 start, has gone 8-25, hardly a righting of the ship record-wise. Tasked with staying NBA Play-In competitive, the interim head coach also faces immense pressure to prioritize the development of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. This mandate has locked Borrego into starting the rookies and granting them 25-30 minutes per game in many outings, despite data screaming that they are among the league’s worst starters. On/off stats, defensive ratings, shooting efficiencies, and turnover rates all underscore a brutal truth that Queen and Fears are not ready to win at a high level. Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen fall off Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Borrego’s hands are tied, but it is paying some dividends. Fears has nine 20+ point games before Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Queen leads all rookies in rebounds (329) and assists (190) with two triple-doubles. Unfortunately, New Orleans ranks dead last in defensive rating (DRtg) at 120.6 points allowed per 100 possessions, but the on/off splits for Fears and Queen expose them as primary culprits. Both have started the majority of their games (Fears in 43 of 45, Queen in 32 of 44), and their combined presence torpedoes the team’s efficiency. Defensively, the rookies’ inexperience is glaring. The team’s DRtg balloons to 123.7 with both on (worse than the 30th-ranked Jazz at 122.3), versus 111.4 off, which would rank third league-wide. In recent games (last 11 post-Christmas), it’s 122.4 with Fears on (114.0 off) and 123.5 with Queen on. Offensively, their shooting and ball security exacerbate the bind. Fears shoots 43.4% from the field (121st among qualifiers) and 32% from three, with 2.4 turnovers per game, ranking him among the league’s sloppiest starters. Their combined 4.8 turnovers per game fuel opponent transitions, where New Orleans ranks poorly (bottom 10 in opponent turnover rate conversion). Queen’s honeymoon period appears to be over. After early-season buzz suggested the Maryland product might validate the controversial trade that cost New Orleans an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, recent performance has swung dramatically in the opposite direction. He fares better at 49.2% overall from the field but dips to 19% on threes (among the NBA’s worst for bigs) and leads rookies with 107 turnovers (19th league-wide) and 126 personal fouls (9th overall). The Pelicans have been outscored by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Queen on the floor, the worst mark on the entire team. This represents a stunning reversal from earlier in the season when Queen posted the best on/off rating among all rookies at plus-18 points per 100 possessions. Something has to give if the front office wants to battle out of the Western Conference basement. Pelicans cannot budge Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Borrego finds himself in an impossible position. It’s hard to steer a ship with two gaping defensive holes in the hull after all. Fears was reportedly deemed “untouchable” in trade discussions, while Queen cost the team its unprotected 2026 first-rounder. Development must remain a priority. Yet the interim coach also has a responsibility to win. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones deserve better than being dragged down by ineffective supporting casts. Watching rotation spots and minutes go to players whose current contributions are demonstrably costing games is the fastest recipe for locker room discontent. Borrego’s challenge isn’t just X’s and O’s; it’s managing morale and keeping a veteran group bought in while executing a plan they can see isn’t working. Bench the rookie, start a front office riot. Keep playing them heavy minutes, risk losing the locker room. The compromise? Start Jose Alvarado or Dejounte Murray upon return from injury. Fears could benefit…

The Carolina Hurricanes keep on rolling. On Sunday, they extended their winning streak to three games after taking care of business at Lenovo Center in Raleigh against the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Thanks in large part to the incredible performance between the pipes of goalie Brandon Bussi, the ‘Canes came away with a 2-1 victory. Bussi has been excellent for the Hurricanes in the 2025-26 NHL regular season, and he proved once again that he’s among the best in front of the net this campaign with the way he shut down Buffalo’s attack. He turned away 17 of 18 shots he faced against the Sabres, and one of the saves he made in the contest seems like a strong contender for the goal of the year. In the second quarter, Sabres star Tage Thompson got control of the puck inside the Hurricanes’ zone and immediately rushed toward the net. He made a quick pass before getting the puck back, looking primed to score a tie-breaking goal. But Bussi denied Thompson with a highlight glove save. You can watch it all here: SAVE OF THE YEAR ENTRY BRANDON BUSSIIIIIIIIII pic.twitter.com/Bcsa01IZvU — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 19, 2026 That save got people buzzing on the internet. “ insane,” a fan commented. “Close enough, 2006 Cam Ward, welcome back to the Canes!,” a social media user on X, formerly Twitter, shared. “BUSSI NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED DURING THE SECOND INTERMISSION,” commented a fan. “Pick the highlight save of the year,” a different post read. “Insane save from Bussi #CarolinaCulture,” said another commenter. “THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND,” one shared. Bussi also made an incredible stand in front of the net amid the desperate Buffalo attack in the final seconds of the contest. bussi bussed us down. he was in a flow state. you tip your cap then absolutely demolish whichever preds goalie goes tomorrow (please not Saros) pic.twitter.com/7E50UH3ExZ — Conor Hurley (@CHurls13) January 19, 2026 On the season, the history-making 27-year-old Bussi is 18-3-1 with a 2.25 goals against average and a .906 save percentage through 22 starts for the Hurricanes, who improved to 31-15-4 following their takedown of Buffalo. The post Hurricanes’ Brandon Bussi may have made the save of the year on Sabres’ Tage Thompson appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Chicago Blackhawks are preparing to host the Winnipeg Jets. This means the return of Jonathan Toews to Chicago for the first time. Toews spoke earlier this season about playing against the Blackhawks when Chicago visited Winnipeg. This time it will be in front of the Chicago fans. Before the game, one of his former Blackhawk teammates, Connor Murphy, spoke about Toews. “He’s the one teammate I’ve ever had where you go out with him in public and people won’t just say they’re a ‘big fan,’ they’ll almost give an emotional thank you. They’ll literally say, ‘Thank you for making my life better.’ Because the impact he made representing as a leader in the community and putting his heart on his sleeve with how he played…that really resonated with people,” Murphy said ahead of the return of Toews to Chicago, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Toews was the third overall selection of the 2006 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He broke intothe NHL during the 2007-08 campaign, and stayed with the team through 2022-23. Although he did miss the 2020-21 season. In that time, he played 1,067 games with the franchise, scoring 372 goals and 511 assists. He also had 119 playoff points on the way to lifting the Stanley Cup three times. Toews did not play in the last two seasons, but has played in 47 games for the Jets, with seven goals and 11 assists. He also knows the magnitude of returning to Chicago. “It’s a weird situation. You don’t get games like this all the time, obviously,” Toews told Tracey Myers of NHL.com. “Just trying to walk that line between, at the end of the day you want to go out there and play well and win the game, so you have to keep some level of focus and not get too distracted with all the things going around you,” Toews continued. Murphy and Toews were teammates from the 2017-28 season through the 2022-23 season, the last with Toews in a Blackhawks jersey. Overall, they shared the ice for over 600 NHL games. The Blackhawks and Jets are both looking for a much-needed win in this game. The Blackhawks are 19-22-7 on the year, sitting six points out of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Jets are 19-22-6, seven points away from a playoff spot. Puck drop between the Jets and Blackhawks is set for 8:30 PM ET on Monday night. The post Blackhawks’ Connor Murphy glows over Jonathan Toews before Chicago return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Halfway through the 2024-25 regular season, the Boston Celtics were 29-12 and doing what was expected of them. The C’s were just six months removed from winning it all and had hopes of repeating as champions given their nearly identical roster. Halfway through the 2025-26 regular season, the Celtics are 26-15 and exceeding what was expected of them in every way. Boston lost multiple starters during the offseason, and star forward Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tendon rupture last May, making the 2024 title feel like it was eons ago and putting a severe damper on any chance of raising a banner in 2026. Or, at least that was the assumption. The Celtics’ impressive record shows they’ve overcome significant roster changes and regained their winning ways under a new identity. With Celtics star Jaylen Brown leading the way on the court and head coach Joe Mazzulla commanding the sidelines, Boston has posted the second-best offensive rating in the entire NBA. This isn’t just a stellar statistic either, as it’s translated into wins, with the Celtics currently holding the second seed in the Eastern Conference. To better understand how this astonishing offense is running — and why Boston is excelling during a season it was expected to suffer through — let’s take a look at the top five scorers on the Celtics in order and grade their performances 41 games into the 2025-26 campaign. Jaylen Brown Brown has already accomplished a lot during his terrific 10-year NBA career, but even he is reaching new heights this season. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is averaging a career-high 29.7 points per game despite averaging more minutes in three other seasons, including last year. While his field goal attempts have obviously gone up without Tatum around, his field goal percentage hasn’t declined. In fact, he’s shooting 49.1% from the floor, which is better than last season and just shy of his career-best conversion rate, 49.9%, from two years ago. Brown has scored the fourth-most points in total of any player so far this season and is shooting a career-high 79.1% from the free throw line, a part of his game he’s previously struggled with. And although the Georgia native wasn’t known as a shooter when he came into the league, he’s connected on 36.7% of his shots from beyond the arc — his best percentage since the 2020-21 season. For his efforts, Brown was named an All-Star starter for the first time ever. He’s now a five-time All-Star, and it’s clearly deserved, as the Celtics’ offense depends on him, and his defense on the other end is good enough to qualify him as one of the best two-way players in the game. Jaylen Brown is officially a 5-time NBA All-Star. He now has as many All-Star selections as a Celtic as Sam Jones and Kevin Garnett. Also, he now has more selections than Rajon Rondo. pic.twitter.com/7wHGujNRlr — Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 19, 2026 In short, with the pressure on and the odds stacked against an injured Celtics squad, Brown has delivered his finest season to date. Grade: A+ Derrick White Celtics guard Derrick White has also faced some added pressure this season. With Tatum out for an extended period of time, the 31-year-old was expected to remain consistent on defense while upping his point production. White has largely done that, averaging a career-high 18.1 points per outing and playing over 34 minutes per game for the first time in his professional career. The only issue has been his efficiency. The former San Antonio Spur is shooting a career-low 39.7% from the field and is under 33% from deep to boot. What White offers has never just been about shooting, though. The beloved Celtic has posted the eighth-most blocks of any player in the Association this season, and the most of any guard. His average of 1.5 blocks per game is a career-high and highlights how great his rim protection has been for a Celtics team that lost a lot of size in the offseason. Joe Mazzulla spoke highly of Derrick White and his block…

The College Football Playoff concludes on Monday night with Indiana traveling to Miami to face the Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl, which is also a de facto home game for Miami. The game has massive expectations this season, with all roads leading to this. It is the culmination of the college football season, and ticket and concession prices reflect that, nearly doubling from last year. On3’s college football insider, Brett McMurphy, shared a photo from the concession area and outlined how expensive the food at the stadium is for the national title game. It’s $22 for a double cocktail, $13.50 or $14.50 for a beer, or $24 for a Benihana’s steak yakisoba bowl, as an example. The good news is that the food quality seems better than at a traditional stadium, but the trade-off is the high cost of the items. The food and drink prices only mirror just how expensive it is to get into the stadium at all in Miami on Monday night. The day after Indiana beat Oregon in the Peach Bowl, ticket prices for the national championship skyrocketed. The cheapest ticket was over $3,500, including fees. The average price was $5,589, more than double last year’s average. Tickets started dropping from there to around $2,700 by Thursday, before the weekend began. However, that decline was short-lived with tickets rocketing back up to $3,910 on Monday morning as the get-in price and the average ticket price were $5,740. The factors driving these high prices seem mainly to be that it is between two teams that rarely play on a stage as big as this, and that it is in Miami, which is not exactly a cheap city to begin with. The Hurricanes are playing for their first national championship since 2001, and their fans have been dying to see Miami get back to a stage as big as this. Then, Indiana has never been here before, and its fans are flooding each game and loving every minute. Indiana has the most extensive living alum base in the country, and they showed that off by flooding Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, and more of the same is expected in Miami. The post Check out the insane concession prices at the College Football Playoff National Championship game appeared first on ClutchPoints.