For first-year Washington coach Danny Sprinkle, January has been nothing short of grueling. The Huskies (10-9, 1-7 Big Ten) have endured five straight losses, all against ranked opponents, making their upcoming Friday matchup against the UCLA Bruins (13-6, 4-4) another daunting test. Calling January “a month from hell,” Sprinkle remains proud of his team’s resilience despite their struggles. After kicking off the month with a solid 75-69 win over Maryland, the Huskies have faced one powerhouse after another, including Michigan State, Purdue, and Oregon. “This program has never seen anything like this January schedule,” Sprinkle said. “It’s been brutal, but I’m proud of our guys for not making excuses. They’ve kept their heads up.” On Tuesday, Washington fought hard against

The Portland Trail Blazers, riding the wave of a stellar defensive performance against the Orlando Magic, are set to face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. With both teams showing recent flashes of brilliance, this clash promises to be a compelling battle of defense versus offense. Portland’s defense took center stage in their dominant 101-79 victory over the Magic on Thursday. The Blazers, now on a three-game winning streak for the second time this season, held their opponent under 100 points for just the third time all year. “Just willing to scrap and fight,” said center Robert Williams III about the team’s mindset. Head coach Chauncey Billups praised his squad’s effort, calling it a “masterpiece” and emphasizing their ability to disrupt

The New York Islanders, fresh off a three-day break and a statement win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, are set to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night in Elmont, N.Y. For the Islanders, this matchup kicks off a critical two-game stretch that could define their playoff aspirations. Meanwhile, the Flyers, reeling from a crushing 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday, are looking to shake off the defeat and reignite their recent surge. The Islanders secured a 3-1 victory over Columbus on Monday, fueled by Bo Horvat’s two-goal performance and Mathew Barzal’s playmaking magic. But with an eight-point gap between them and the Eastern Conference wild-card spots, New York knows it’s time to deliver consistently. Despite some

At 10:00 ET, the 19-25 Bulls (+100) will travel to San Francisco to take on the 21-22 Warriors (-120). The over/under line for this non-conference matchup is 231. Golden State (-1.5) is currently on a two-game losing streak and is 11th in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Chicago is 10th in the East and 5th in the Central Division. Chicago improved to 19-25 on the season with a 112-99 road win over the Clippers on Monday. The Bulls entered the game as +6.5 underdogs and covered the spread with the win. The total points for the game were 211, falling short of the 227.5 over/under line. After a 10-0 run by the Clippers in the 2nd quarter, the Bulls responded by