Le Journal

The Philadelphia 76ers returned to the win column after beating the Indiana Pacers, 113-104, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday. The 76ers were coming off back-to-back defeats to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tyrese Maxey starred for Philadelphia anew with 29 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and a career-high eight steals. It was only fitting that the talented guard showed up just a few hours after being named as a starter in the All-Star Game. In addition, Maxey joined Allen Iverson as the only players in team history to register the said numbers in a game, according to StatMuse. Tyrese Maxey vs Indiana: 29 PTS8 AST8 STL () Joins Allen Iverson as the only 76ers with those numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/LFb29oXrle — StatMuse (@statmuse) January 20, 2026 It is not hard to spot the similarities between Maxey and Iverson. They are both quick, explosive, fearless, and have a knack for coming up big in pressure-packed situations. The 25-year-old Maxey, who will play in his second All-Star Game, has often been viewed as a modern embodiment of Iverson, whose legacy will forever be felt in Philadelphia. Iverson has publicly praised Maxey on multiple occasions, mentioning his work ethic, humility, and growth as a leader. While not a formal mentor, the former MVP has positioned himself as an advocate, often highlighting Maxey as someone who can lead the Sixers back to success. Philadelphia has not been to the NBA Finals since Iverson led the squad in 2001. While the 76ers are still groping for consistency, they will always be a threat with Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe leading the way. Embiid had 30 points, nine rebounds, and four assists against the Pacers, while Edgecombe chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The post 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey blasts Pacers with extremely rare Allen Iverson feat appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Ryan Nembhard pulled off a spectacular alley-oop highlight that was reminiscent of Jason Kidd during the Dallas Mavericks’ matchup against the New York Knicks on Monday night. Nembhard is going through the rookie campaign of his NBA career with the Mavericks. He has embraced the opportunities he got in the rotation, making several starts as he secured a firm role as a spark plug off the bench. While his scoring wasn’t explosive in Dallas’ game against New York, he remained active with his playmaking. That much was the case when he pulled off this play in the final minutes of the third quarter. He got the ball as he lobbed it from the half-court line, getting the pass to Moussa Cisse for the ferocious throwdown. Ryan Nembhard lobs it to Moussa Cisse from about halfcourt! DAL/NYK on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FXOpEUEbu5 — NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2026 How Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks played against Knicks Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images It was an incredible highlight for Ryan Nembhard to add to his resume, helping the Mavericks embarrass the Knicks in a 114-97 blowout win. Dallas torched New York throughout the course of the first half, leading 75-47 at halftime. The hosts failed to bounce back from their early struggles, being unable to spark a rally as the visitors’ offensive firepower proved to be too much. Five players scored in double-digits for Dallas in the win. Max Christie delivered an excellent performance with 26 points, six rebounds and two assists. He shot 9-of-13 from the field, including 8-of-10 from beyond the arc. Naji Marshall came next with 19 points and eight rebounds, Cooper Flagg had 18 points and seven rebounds, Moussa Cisse put up 15 points and nine rebounds, while Klay Thompson provided 14 points and five rebounds. Dallas improved to an 18-26 record on the season, holding the 12th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are 3.5 games above the Utah Jazz and 5.5 games above the Sacramento Kings. However, they trail the Memphis Grizzlies by 1.5 games and Los Angeles Clippers by two games. Rolling with three consecutive wins, the Mavericks will look forward to their next matchup. They return home as they host the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The post Mavericks’ Ryan Nembhard goes full Jason Kidd with bonkers halfcourt alley-oop pass appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Monday night in MLK Day, the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat were set to face one another in Chase Center. Nearly a year has passed since the two teams agreed on a trade that sent Butler to the Warriors, with a package centered around Wiggins heading back to the Heat. This was a rather difficult decision for the Warriors to make, as Wiggins was a beloved member of the roster — a crucial piece of their title-winning team in 2022. The Warriors may have no regrets bringing Butler in, but it still has to sting that it was Wiggins who had to give way just so they could improve their roster enough to the point of legitimate title contention. The Dubs miss Wiggins’ contributions on and off the court, and on Monday, him and Stephen Curry shared a heartfelt moment, as they must have reminisced their time together there in the Bay. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins catch-up before the Warriors-Heat showdown (via @MiamiHEAT) pic.twitter.com/XHWp2kRj0Y — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026 You can just see how huge the smile on Wiggins’ face is as he and Curry dapped up and shared an embrace. It was with the Warriors where Wiggins truly learned how to play winning basketball, and no one can ever take away from him the fact that he is an NBA champion. Warriors’ ill-fated two timelines strategy costs them Andrew Wiggins Nell Redmond-Imagn Images It might be a bit disingenuous to say that Wiggins’ departure via trade was caused by the Warriors’ insistence of taking a two timelines approach. But they decided to keep Jonathan Kuminga instead amid all the turmoil their roster has gone through over the past few years, and Kuminga is not likely to fetch that much on the trade market these days considering that he’s basically on paid leave. A player of Wiggins’ skillset is exactly what the Warriors need right now — a 3-and-D wing who’s not afraid of the moment. The post Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Heat’s Andrew Wiggins share heartfelt MLK Day moment appeared first on ClutchPoints.

To say the typically ferocious rushing game of Miami was tamed in the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship by the Indiana Hoosiers would be an understatement. After punishing foe after foe in the regular season and playoffs alike with a strong ground and pound attack to set up play-action passes from veteran quarterback Carson Beck, the Canes were held to just 20 rushing yards before intermission, leading some to wonder if Miami wouldn’t get to raise a banner in Hard Rock Arena after all. And yet, mere minutes into the second quarter, The U punched back in a major way, showcasing why they were the kind of team many picked to leave the game with a Natty thanks in no small part to junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. Taking a handoff from Beck on 2nd-and-5 from Miami’s 43-yard line, Fletcher ripped off the first true game-changing play of the contest for the Canes, running the ball 57 yards for an undeniable touchdown. HERE COMES MIAMI! Mark Fletcher Jr. takes it 57-yards to the endzone for the TD pic.twitter.com/pLmrhUkK8X — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026 Initially landing at Miami as a four-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale, Fletcher has consistently found ways to impact games for the Hurricanes, recording at least 100 rushing attempts in each of his first three seasons, including a career-high 199 heading into the National Championship Game. With 84 yards on 11 carries midway through the third quarter, Fletcher has been Miami’s engine as Beck has struggled to get much going in the passing game. If the Hurricanes are going to pull the upset and take home the win at Hard Rock Stadium, they’ll need a few more big plays by Fletcher Jr. The post Mark Fletcher Jr. energizes Miami fans with monster TD run vs. Indiana appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Mark Williams was one of the pieces the Phoenix Suns brought in this past offseason to try and solve their woes at the center position that Jusuf Nurkic was no longer equipped to fill. Williams has had his ups and downs, with head coach Jordan Ott opting to roll with Oso Ighodaro over him at times, but when the towering center is locked in, he can be such an imposing presence near the basket. Just ask the Brooklyn Nets. Williams wasted no time establishing himself as a premier shot-blocking threat on Monday night against the Nets. With over 11 minutes still left in the third quarter of play, the Suns center defended a dribble drive from Nic Claxton. Claxton tried to go a little fancy with it, using a sidestep to try and shake Williams. But Williams matched him step for step and ended up snatching the ball in mid-air from Claxton’s floater attempt. Mark Williams just SNATCHED the ball out of the air for the block pic.twitter.com/6nUxouX27l — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026 The timing, athleticism, and dexterity needed to pull this off is no joke. Only the best shot-blockers in the league even try to snatch the ball in mid-air to immediately claim possession for his team, and the Suns center has all the tools needed to do this sort of thing. This block was only one of three rejections Williams has on the night. The Suns are currently leading the Nets in the fourth, 121-114. Mark Williams is an ideal fit for this plucky Suns team Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Williams has a huge chip on his shoulder from the nixed trade that would have brought him to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it’s this underdog mentality that’s fueling the Suns to such a good run thus far in the 2025-26 campaign. But beyond being an incredible fit on the mental side of the ball, he is also the perfect fit on the court. He can run the floor quickly, he is an athletic big man who is very unselfish, and he can protect the rim to try and protect the Suns’ smaller guards. The post Suns center Mark Williams’ unreal block prevents bucket vs. Nets appeared first on ClutchPoints.