Struggling to find footing in the new year, both No. 22 UCLA and Maryland will seek redemption when they face off Friday night in College Park, Md. Each team has suffered back-to-back Big Ten losses in January, leaving both programs eager to recapture their early-season form. Despite their cross-country locales, UCLA (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten) and Maryland (11-4, 1-3) share an unfortunate trend: second-half collapses. Both teams have held leads in recent games, only to falter down the stretch. For Maryland, Sunday’s 83-79 loss at then-No. 9 Oregon marked a second consecutive stumble after falling 75-69 at Washington earlier in the week. The Terrapins squandered a 13-point advantage against Oregon and a nine-point lead at Washington. Similarly, UCLA’s two losses—66-58

The Philadelphia 76ers, battling injuries and inconsistency, look to secure another win Friday night when they host the Western Conference-worst New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams are grappling with adversity, setting up an intriguing clash at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia (22-16) managed to hold off the Washington Wizards 109-103 on Wednesday despite blowing a 15-point fourth-quarter lead. Missing key players Joel Embiid (foot), Paul George (groin), and Kyle Lowry (hip), the Sixers relied on Tyrese Maxey’s 29 points and Guerschon Yabusele’s all-around contributions (21 points, eight rebounds, and a clutch block) to pull through. Philadelphia improved to 1-1 on their current three-game homestand, with Maxey delivering the go-ahead layup in the final seconds. The Sixers aim to close the homestand on

The Sacramento Kings, riding a five-game winning streak under interim head coach Doug Christie, face a significant test Friday as they take on the Boston Celtics in the first of a three-game road trip. With both teams hitting their stride, the clash promises high-stakes action between two top-tier offenses. Since parting ways with head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27, the Kings (18-18) have transformed their season under Christie, posting a 5-1 record and showcasing resilience. The team’s latest triumph came in a double-overtime thriller against the Miami Heat, a game they won despite trailing by 17 points and missing star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who remains sidelined with a hip injury. A major catalyst in Sacramento’s resurgence has been

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