Lakers top Hornets for 4th straight win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Anthony Davis had 42 points and 23 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers used a huge first quarter from the All-Star center to build a 23-point lead before beating the Charlotte Hornets 112-107 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.

LeBron James had 22 points and Austin Reaves chipped in 17 for the Lakers, who never trailed.

Miles Bridges had 26 points for the Hornets, who lost LaMelo Ball in the second quarter to a left ankle injury after he stepped on Jarred Vanderbilt’s foot as he backpedaled down the court after draining a 3-point jumper off one foot.

Davis scored 21 points in the first quarter on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds as the Lakers bolted to a 39-19 lead.

CAVALIERS 110, PISTONS 91

CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored 22 points, Donovan Mitchell added 21 and Cleveland snapped a season-high, three-game losing streak with a win over Detroit.

Cleveland, which has led the Eastern Conference from the start, ended its mini slump with an 11th straight win over Detroit. The Cavs are 22-3 at home.

They also improved to 2-0 against former coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who led Cleveland’s rebuild and guided the Cavs into the playoffs the past two seasons. However, Bickerstaff was fired following last year’s postseason exit before being hired by the Pistons.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and Evan Mobley 14 rebounds for Cleveland.

Cade Cunningham scored 22 points and Malik Beasley 19 for Detroit. Jalen Duren had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who have 23 wins after going 14-68 last season.

ROCKETS 114, CELTICS 112

BOSTON (AP) — Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead Houston to a victory over Boston.

Dillon Brooks shot 10 of 15 from 3-point range and led Houston with 36 points. The Rockets won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Jaylen Brown had 28 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum added 19 after a scoreless first half. Luke Kornet had 18 and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 to go with eight rebounds.

Rockets leading scorer Jalen Green was held to 12 points.

KINGS 110, NETS 96

NEW YORK (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 21 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists in his seventh triple-double of the season, De’Aaron Fox scored 30 points and Sacramento beat Brooklyn.

DeMar DeRozan added 17 points and Malik Monk finished with 16 for the Kings, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Sacramento trailed by seven points at halftime and outscored the Nets 33-24 in the third quarter to take an 80-78 lead heading into the fourth.

The Kings then went on a 13-2 run, capped by Keegan Murray’s 3-pointer from the corner opposite the Nets bench, to make it 97-85 with 6:08 to play.

HEAT 125, MAGIC 119, 2OT

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 30 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 26 and Miami Heat erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter before beating Orlando in double overtime.

Adebayo had 10 rebounds and nine assists, Herro had 12 assists and eight rebounds, and Kel’el Ware finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for Miami — which played hours after Jimmy Butler was suspended yet again.

Miami improved to 10-10 without Butler this season. The Heat are 13-12 when he plays.

Franz Wagner had 29 points for Orlando, which got 17 apiece from Paolo Banchero and Tristan da Silva. The Magic were outscored 9-3 in the second overtime.

Orlando is 18-2 in games it leads by double figures in the fourth quarter this season. Both losses were to Miami.

KNICKS 143, GRIZZLIES 106

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges had 28 points, six assists and five rebounds, and New York snapped Memphis’ six-game winning streak with a resounding win.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 20 points and six assists for the Knicks, who scored 143 points for the second straight game and won their fourth straight. New York (31-16) won for the 16th time in its past 22 games.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21 points for Memphis, and Desmond Bane chipped in 16. The Grizzlies fell for just the fourth time in 18 games against Eastern Conference opponents.

RAPTORS 113, PELICANS 104

TORONTO (AP) — Jakob Poeltl had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Scottie Barnes had 21 points and 11 boards, and Toronto beat New Orleans for their first four-game winning streak in almost two years.

RJ Barrett scored 17 points for Toronto and Chris Boucher had 14.

Toronto last won four straight from Feb. 12-25, 2023, a run that also included a home victory over the Pelicans.

Zion Williamson scored 31 points and CJ McCollum had 22 as the Pelicans dropped to 4-19 on the road.

Dejounte Murray scored 21 points and Trey Murphy III added 14 for New Orleans, which shot 6 of 28 from 3-point range.

BULLS 129, NUGGETS 121

CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Chicago handed Denver their second straight loss with a victory.

Zach LaVine scored 21 points and Lonzo Ball had 18 for Chicago, which had lost seven of eight. Ayo Dosunmu added 17 points.

The Bulls went 24 for 53 from 3-point range and had seven players score in double figures.

Denver wasted another impressive performance by Nikola Jokic, who had 33 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his sixth triple-double in his last seven games. The three-time MVP has an NBA-best 21 triple-doubles this season.

Christian Braun scored 28 points for Denver. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. each had 18.

TIMBERWOLVES 100, HAWKS 92

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 23 points and Julius Randle added 20 to help Minnesota hold off short-handed Atlanta.

DeAndre Hunter had a career-high 35 points and Keaton Wallace added 13 for the Hawks, who played without leading scorer and NBA assist leader Trae Young (hamstring) and starters Dyson Daniels (ankle) and Jalen Johnson (shoulder).

Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves, who had nine turnovers and just five field goals in the third quarter as Hunter and the Hawks closed the gap to six. Hunter missed a dunk on Gobert with 44 seconds left that would’ve cut the deficit to four.

MAVERICKS 130, WIZARDS 108

DALLAS (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 21 of his 23 points in the first quarter, matching a Dallas record by hitting seven 3-pointers in the period, and the Mavericks breezed past NBA-worst Washington.

Thompson equaled the Mavericks record for 3s in any quarter, set in February 2022 by Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined since straining his left calf on Christmas Day. Thompson owns the NBA record for 3s in a quarter with nine, set in January 2015 during his 11-year run with the Golden State Warriors.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 20 points to match a career high for the Mavericks (25-22), who opened on a 13-2 run and led by 38 points before halftime.

Bilal Coulibaly scored 16 points for the Wizards (6-39), who finished a six-game trip with their 14th consecutive loss. They’ve lost 21 consecutive away games after winning their road opener on Oct. 28.

BUCKS 125, JAZZ 110

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard each scored 35 points to lead Milwaukee to a victory over Utah.

Antetokounmpo also had 18 rebounds and seven assists, powering the Bucks to their ninth victory in 11 games. Lillard added eight assists, and Khris Middleton provided 22 points off the bench.

Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 19 points and nine rebounds. Collin Sexton scored 19 and Brice Sensabaugh finished with 17, including five 3-pointers.

Antetokounmpo combined with Middleton to score five baskets over six possessions and give Milwaukee a 35-26 lead going into the second quarter. Lillard then assisted on four straight buckets and drove for back-to-back layups to put the Bucks up 51-38 midway through the second.

Utah twice cut the deficit to three, but Milwaukee pulled away for good after halftime. Back-to-back baskets from Antetokounmpo and Lillard ignited a 20-3 run, extending the Bucks’ lead to 93-69 late in the third quarter.

SUNS 111, CLIPPERS 109

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 26 points, Kevin Durant added 24 and surging Phoenix survived a late scare for a win over Los Angeles.

The Suns had a 103-90 lead with 5:06 left after Durant’s 3-pointer, but the Clippers went on a late 10-0 run, cutting the deficit to 107-106 on Norman Powell’s short jumper with 40 seconds remaining.

Phoenix’s Grayson Allen made two free throws with 10 seconds left for a 111-107 advantage, which was enough to close out the win.

The Suns have won nine of their last 12. Allen scored 18 off the bench while Tyus Jones added 17. Phoenix tied a season high with 22 3-pointers, making 46.8% of its shots from long range.

Ivica Zubac had 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers. James Harden added 24 points and 10 assists, while Powell scored 23 points.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, top left, dunks over Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado discussed her country's future with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, even though he has dismissed her credibility to take over after an audacious U.S. military raid captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela and signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s No. 2. Along with others in the deposed leader’s inner circle, Rodríguez remains in charge of day-to-day government operations and was set to deliver her first state of the union speech Thursday.

In endorsing Rodríguez so far, Trump has sidelined Machado, who has long been a face of resistance in Venezuela. She also had sought to cultivate relationships with Trump and key administration voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the American right wing in a gamble to ally herself with the U.S. government.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to the lunchtime meeting with Machado and called her “a remarkable and brave voice” for the people of Venezuela. But Leavitt also said Trump's opinion of Machado had not changed, calling it "a realistic assessment."

Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.” Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.

Leavitt went on to say that Trump supported new Venezuelan elections “when the time is right” but did not say when he thought that might be.

Leavitt said Machado sought the face-to-face meeting without setting expectations for what would occur. Machado previously offered to share with Trump the Nobel Peace Prize she won last year, an honor he has coveted.

“I don’t think he needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado," the press secretary said, other than to have a ”frank and positive discussion about what’s taking place in Venezuela.”

Machado spent about two and a half hours at the White House but left without answering questions on whether she'd offered to give her Nobel prize to Trump, saying only “gracias."

After her White House stop, Machado plans to have a meeting at the Senate. Her Washington visit began after U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says had ties to Venezuela.

It is part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil after U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife at a heavily guarded compound in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

Leavitt said Venezuela's interim authorities have been fully cooperating with the Trump administration and that Rodríguez's government said it planned to release more prisoners detained under Maduro. Among those released were five Americans this week.

Rodríguez has adopted a less strident position toward Trump then she did immediately after Maduro's ouster, suggesting that she can make the Republican administration's “America First” policies toward the Western Hemisphere, work for Venezuela — at least for now.

Trump said Wednesday that he had a “great conversation” with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.

“We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump said during an Oval Office bill signing. “And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.”

Even before indicating the willingness to work with Venezuela's interim government, Trump was quick to snub Machado. Just hours after Maduro's capture, Trump said of Machado that “it would be very tough for her to be the leader.”

Machado has steered a careful course to avoid offending Trump, notably after winning the peace prize. She has since thanked Trump, though her offer to share the honor with him was rejected by the Nobel Institute.

Machado’s whereabouts have been largely unknown since she went into hiding early last year after being briefly detained in Caracas. She briefly reappeared in Oslo, Norway, in December after her daughter received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.

The industrial engineer and daughter of a steel magnate began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when the nongovernmental organization she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. The initiative failed, and Machado and other Súmate executives were charged with conspiracy.

A year later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his allies again for traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush. A photo showing her shaking hands with Bush in the Oval Office lives in the collective memory. Chávez considered Bush an adversary.

Almost two decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to reject Chávez’s successor, Maduro, for another term in the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended in a brutal crackdown by state security forces.

Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and Janetsky from Mexico City. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gestures to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado smiles on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

FILE - U.S. President George Bush, right, meets with Maria Corina Machado, executive director of Sumate, a non-governmental organization that defends Venezuelan citizens' political rights, in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, May 31, 2005. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

FILE - Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, file)