Quickley's 3-pointer at the buzzer sends the Raptors past the Hornets 97-96 for 5th win in 6 games

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Immanuel Quickley hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer and the Toronto Raptors rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Charlotte Hornets 97-96 on Wednesday night.

RJ Barrett finished with 28 points and seven rebounds, while Quickley added 21 points. Scottie Barnes chipped in with 17 points as the Raptors won for the fifth time in six games.

Collin Sexton led the Hornets with 22 points.

LaMelo Ball, who scored 15 points, made a driving left-handed layup with 1.6 seconds left to give the Hornets a 96-94 lead. But Quickley got free off of a side-inbounds play and drilled his third 3 of the game, drawing a loud collective moan from the home crowd.

Charlotte had 18 turnovers to Toronto's six.

The Hornets failed to follow a 124-97 upset win over the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night despite a strong start in which they jumped out to an early 11-2 lead. However, the Raptors quickly stormed back with an 17-3 run to take the lead.

Charlotte took a 50-45 lead into the locker room at halftime behind 11 points from Kon Knueppel, who had a rare off night shooting finishing 4 of 17 from the field and 3 of 11 from 3-point range. The Hornets pushed the lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter after Moussa Diabate stole a pass at midcourt and drove the floor scoring on a spinning layup.

But the Raptors, who shot 3 of 27 from beyond the arc in the first three quarters, clawed back with Barrett giving his team the lead on a 3-pointer with 5:40 left.

Toronto was 4 of 7 from 3-point distance in the fourth quarter.

Raptors: Visit the Boston Celtics on Friday.

Hornets: Host the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) lays up the ball against Toronto Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Krista Jasso)

Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) shoots the ball against Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5), Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) , left, and Toronto Raptors forward/guard RJ Barrett (9), right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Krista Jasso)

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel (7) shoots the ball against Toronto Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Krista Jasso)

Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) brings the ball up court towards Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Krista Jasso)

Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) brings the ball up court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Krista Jasso)

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed the pioneering hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit to reclaim ownership of their master recordings from Universal Music Group.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote on Thursday sided with the recording giant, arguing that the Grammy-winning group never owned the copyrights to their sound recordings and didn't transfer them to anyone else.

“Plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed,” the judge wrote. “None of the contracts identified by Plaintiffs indicate that they ever owned the Master Tapes.”

UMG argued that the recordings were “works made for hire,” which would not allow for the reclaiming of rights. Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit said their agreements with the label made it clear that they were not.

“Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come,” UMG said in a statement.

Representatives for Salt-N-Pepa said in a statement that they disagreed with the judge's decision and “fully intend to pursue our rights on appeal,” adding: “We remain committed to vindicating and reclaiming our rights as creators under the Copyright Act."

The Queens, New York, duo of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton became Salt-N-Pepa in 1985. They were later joined by DJ Spinderella, who was not part of the early agreements under dispute and is not involved in the lawsuit.

Salt-N-Pepa signed with Next Plateau Records and released their debut album "Hot, Cool & Vicious" in 1986. Next Plateau was an independent label at the time, and it’s now under the banner of Universal’s Republic label. Some of the group's hits include 1993’s “Shoop” and 1987’s “Push It”

In 1995 they became the first female rap group to win a Grammy, and in 2021, they received a Grammy lifetime achievement award. In November, they followed Missy Elliott as the second female hip-hop act in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, handed the Influence Award.

At the podium during the induction ceremony, James noted the group's legal fight: "This is the Influence Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honors creativity the way the audience does — with love, respect and fairness.”

In their lawsuit, Salt-N-Pepa claimed that the 1976 Copyright Act gives artists the right to reclaim ownership of master recordings and terminate past agreements after 35 years.

But the judge sided with UMG's argument that there is no evidence that James and Denton granted the label copyright that they can now reclaim.

FILE - Sandra Denton, from left; DJ Spinderella and Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa arrive at the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 8, 2025, at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Missy Elliott, from left, and Sandra Denton with Cheryl James, right of Salt-N-Pepa, react during the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 8, 2025, at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)