The Wisconsin Badgers aim to keep their recent hot streak alive while extending their dominance over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Big Ten showdown Friday night in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) enters the game on a four-game winning streak, highlighted by a 75-63 road victory over Rutgers on Monday. The Badgers have been nearly unstoppable offensively, averaging 83.3 points per game—their highest mark since the 1970-71 season. The Badgers are also excelling at the free-throw line, leading the nation with an 85.5 percent success rate. Wisconsin graduate transfer John Tonje continues to pace the team, averaging 18.4 points per game. John Blackwell has been a revelation in the last two games, scoring a total of 53

The New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder collide Friday night at Madison Square Garden in a much-anticipated rematch of two potential NBA Finals contenders. Both teams are among the top seeds in their respective conferences and are coming off defining performances earlier this week. The Knicks snapped a three-game skid on Wednesday with a convincing 112-98 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Karl-Anthony Towns, back in the lineup after missing Monday’s loss to the Orlando Magic due to a right knee injury, posted a dominant 27-point, 13-rebound double-double. Towns’ return solidifies a Knicks lineup that has thrived when its primary starters—Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart—are healthy. The team improved to 22-11 with that quintet on

The Chicago Bulls aim to bounce back from a recent loss to the Washington Wizards as they open a five-game homestand on Friday night. Chicago, looking to solidify its playoff positioning, will face a Wizards team struggling to find consistency amid injuries and setbacks. The Bulls (19-17) are eager to recover after a 129-113 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. That defeat followed a stretch where Chicago won four of five games, the lone loss coming in a 125-107 setback to the Wizards on Jan. 1. Zach LaVine has been on fire, scoring at least 30 points in each of his last four games. He’s averaging 23.3 points per game this season and led the Bulls with 32 points

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors face the Indiana Pacers on Friday night in Indianapolis, with the Warriors looking to build on a narrow victory over the Detroit Pistons. Meanwhile, the Pacers, winners of four straight, aim to continue their strong form at home. Curry, fresh off a tough shooting night in Detroit where he went 2-for-14 from beyond the arc, will aim to rediscover his long-range precision against a Pacers team that stifled him in their last matchup. Despite his struggles, Curry contributed with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Warriors’ 107-104 win over the Pistons, helping snap a two-game skid. Golden State faces mounting challenges, with key players like Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons), Jonathan Kuminga, and